Method and apparatus for players of wagering games to find friends in a gaming environment

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are gaming machines, including related methods, apparatus, and systems, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for players of wagering games to find friends in a gaming environment. Player identification information identifies a first player of a first gaming device configured to play a game of chance. One or more friend-finding criteria associated with the identified first player are retrieved from a storage medium. A second player is identified as a friend or a friend candidate of the first player based on the retrieved friend-finding criteria. A location associated with the second player is identified as being in a designated area of the gaming environment. Output data indicating the identified second player is provided.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wagering games and machines, such asslot machines and video poker machines, and gaming networks. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus forplayers of wagering games to identify, locate, and communicate withfriends and potential friends in a gaming environment such as a casino.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gaming in the United States is divided into Class I, Class II and ClassIII games. Class I gaming includes social games played for minimalprizes, or traditional ceremonial games. Class II gaming includes bingogames, pull tab games if played in the same location as bingo games,lotto, punch boards, tip jars, instant bingo, and other games similar tobingo. Class III gaming includes any game that is not a Class I or ClassII game, such as a wagering game typically offered in non-Indian,state-regulated casinos. Many games of chance that are played on gamingmachines fall into the Class II and Class III categories of games.

As technology in the gaming industry progresses, the traditionalmechanically driven reel slot machines are being replaced withelectronic counterparts, that is, electronic gaming machines havingvideo displays based on CRT, LCD, plasma, or the like. Electronic gamingmachines such as video slot machines and video poker machines arebecoming increasingly popular. Part of the reason for their increasedpopularity is the nearly endless variety of games that can be madeavailable for play on a single gaming machine. Advancements in video andelectronic gaming enable the operation of more complex games that wouldnot otherwise be possible on mechanical-driven gaming machines orpersonal computers.

Various games, particularly the Class II and Class III categories ofgames, can be implemented as server-based games in a server-clientsystem. In a server-based gaming arrangement, a gaming server servesmultiple gaming machines as clients. For example, a casino can include aplurality of gaming machines located on the game floor, and a connectedgaming server located in a back room of the casino. Generally, the gamesand capabilities of a gaming machine depend on the central server. Gamescan be downloaded from the central server to the gaming machines forexecution, for instance, when initiated by casino operations management.Alternatively, the central server can execute the games and output gamedata to the gaming machines.

To enhance the gaming experience, there are a number of peripheralcomponents/devices that can be connected to a gaming machine such as aslot machine or video poker machine. Examples of these devices includeplayer tracking units, lights, ticket printers, card readers, speakers,bill acceptors/validators, ticket readers, coin acceptors, displaypanels, key pads, coin hoppers and button pads. These peripheral devicesare built into the gaming machine or otherwise attached to the gamingmachine. For instance, a top box is often constructed as a separatecomponent on top of the gaming machine.

Typically, using a master gaming controller, a gaming machine controlsvarious combinations of devices that allow a player to play a game onthe gaming machine and also encourage game play on the gaming machine.For example, a game played on a gaming machine usually requires a playerto input money or an indicia of credit into the gaming machine, indicatea wager amount, and initiate game play. These steps require the gamingmachine to control input devices, such as bill acceptors/validators andcoin acceptors, to accept money into the gaming machine and recognizeuser inputs from devices, including key pads, button pads, card readers,and ticket readers, to determine the wager amount, and initiate gameplay.

After game play has been initiated, the gaming machine determines a gameoutcome, presents the game outcome to the player and may dispense anaward of some type depending on the outcome of the game. A game outcomepresentation may utilize many different visual and audio components suchas lights, music, sounds and graphics. The visual and audio componentsof the game outcome presentation may be used to draw a player'sattention to various game features and to heighten the player's interestin additional game play.

Maintaining a game player's interest in game play, such as on a gamingmachine or during other gaming activities, is an important considerationfor an operator of a gaming establishment. More and more gaming servicesare being provided to gaming machines to maintain player interest. Theseservices can be offered via communication networks that link groups ofgaming machines to a remote computer, such as a host server, thatprovides one or more gaming services. As an example, gaming servicesthat may be provided by a remote computer to a gaming machine via acommunication network of some type include player tracking, accounting,cashless award ticketing, lottery, progressive games, and bonus games orprizes. These services and features are provided in addition to thegames that are available for play on the gaming machines.

Player tracking programs are often offered by a particular gamingestablishment to provide rewards to players that typically correspond tothe player's level of patronage, for example, to the player's playingfrequency and/or total amount of game plays at the particular gamingestablishment. Player tracking rewards may be free meals, free lodgingand/or free entertainment. These rewards may help to sustain a gameplayer's interest in additional game play during a visit to a gamingestablishment and may entice a player to visit a gaming establishment topartake in various gaming activities.

In general, player tracking programs may be applied to any game ofchance offered at a gaming establishment. In particular, player trackingprograms are very popular with players of mechanical slot gamingmachines and video slot gaming machines. In a gaming machine, a playertracking program is implemented using a player tracking unit installedin the gaming machine and in communication with a remote player trackingserver.

Due to their increasing popularity, player tracking cards and playertracking programs have essentially become the de facto marketing methodof doing business at casinos. As suggested above, a player's incentivefor using the player tracking services is awards provided by the gamingmachine operator (e.g., the casino). Some incentives of a casino forproviding player tracking services are to generate “brand” loyalty,gather valuable information that may be used for marketing and providebetter customer services. This is due to the fact that the programsallow a casino to identify and reward customers based upon theirprevious game play history. In particular, a goal of the casinos is toidentify and then to provide a higher level of service to certain groupsof players identified as especially valuable to the casinos.

Generally, a player signs up with a casino to participate in theirplayer tracking and reward program. By signing up, the casino learns theidentity of the player. The casino generates a player file with whichthe player's identity is associated. The casino then tracks the player'splay of its games in order to determine when and if the player isentitled to a reward.

In order to track the player's play, the casino may offer the player aplayer tracking card. This card has information associated with it, suchas a unique player number. This player number is also associated withthe generated file for that player. When the player wishes to play agame, the player utilizes a card reader located at the casino's gamingdevice to read their player card. The player or other identificationnumber is transmitted to a computer which accesses the player's file.Information regarding the player's activities, such as number of gamesplayed, amounts wagered or won, are transmitted from the gaming machineto the computer. This information is utilized to update the player'sfile with play or reward information.

Commonly, activities of a player are associated with points. The pointsare assigned based on the player's activities. For example, a player maybe awarded a point for each dollar which is wagered. The wagerinformation may be used to generate reward points. Over time, theplayer's file is updated to reflect accrued reward points. When a playerhas engaged in a certain level or volume of play, such as evidenced by anumber of points accrued, then the player may be entitled to a reward. Aplayer may travel to a central station where the player may check theirpoint total. The player may also compare their point total to the numberof points necessary for particular awards. These awards may comprisegoods or services, such as free or discounted food, lodging and otherawards.

This type of system has the advantage that the player is rewarded forthe loyalty of play at a particular casino. Such a reward is based uponthe player's frequency or volume of play, and is apart from any winningswhich the player may have received as a result of playing individualinstances of a game or gaming machine. The casino benefits by havingplayers return to their property to play their games.

Casinos have a defined customer base, a significant portion of whichincludes players participating in casino player tracking and rewardprograms. This customer base can generally be viewed as regular patronsof the casino. Individuals in this group of patrons may desire toassociate with others in the group because they have the same or similarlevel of interest in wagering activities. For instance, a group ofplayers may frequent the same table game, such as a poker table, inCasino A on Friday nights. These players may have met at the table, anearby sports bar, a bonus or promotional event, or known each otherfrom other life experiences. Regardless of how they met, they simplyenjoy being in the same casino and participating in wagering activitiestogether.

Indeed, many casino patrons enjoy meeting existing and new friends atthe casino to share in fun activities. However, it is becomingincreasingly difficult for these players to find each other. Thisdifficulty is often attributable to the large size, complex layout, andcrowds of modern casinos. For instance, modern casinos often havemultiple levels packed with various gaming devices, restaurants, bars,advertisement and promotion apparatus, and large numbers of people.These and other elements contribute to impaired views, limited motion,and noise pollution, thus making it difficult for individual players toseek out and speak with other players. Thus, finding and communicatingwith friends in a casino has become cumbersome.

These difficulties only worsen as casinos continue to grow in size andcomplexity, and attract more patrons. When such a casino is crowded, forexample, during peak gaming hours, players frustrated from loud noiseand hindered movement may decide it is not worth the trouble to navigatethe casino to find their friends. For instance, a group of friendsarranges to meet at Casino X at 7:30 pm on a Saturday night. The groupdoes not designate a particular location in the casino, since they oftenplay in the same general area. When one or more friends cannot belocated, individuals in the group may get caught up in the excitement oftheir own gaming or be distracted by various casino events. They maygive up searching for missing friends, who were actually in the generalarea at the designated time, and choose to leave the casino early out offrustration.

In addition, many players desire to meet unknown players in a casino tomake new friends and acquaintances, and thereby expand their socialcircle. Some players may simply be interested in meeting new buddies toshare in gaming activities, while other players are searching forindividuals to start and develop friendships that could continue outsideof the casino, such as romantic relationships. However, the same size,complexity, crowds, and noise pollution problems associated with moderncasinos, as described above, similarly frustrate these players, and candefeat the pleasure of gaming combined with new-friend-searching. Forexample, noise pollution from crowds of patrons and can turn a simple,“Hello, how are you?” into distorted gibberish.

Thus, players who have a passion for gambling and other casinoactivities, and who wish to share that passion with existing and newfriends, may simply give up on a night of casino fun. Each of theseplayers represents lost revenues for the gaming establishment and otherparticipating vendors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed are gaming machines, including related methods, apparatus, andsystems, including computer program products, implementing and usingtechniques for players of wagering games to find friends in a gamingenvironment.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method includesreceiving player identification information identifying a first playerof a first gaming device configured to play a game of chance. One ormore friend-finding criteria associated with the identified first playerare retrieved from a storage medium. A second player is identified as afriend or a friend candidate of the first player based on the retrievedfriend-finding criteria. A location associated with the second player isidentified as being in a designated area of the gaming environment.Output data indicating the identified second player is provided.

In one implementation, identification of the second player includesidentifying an action associated with the second player as occurringwithin a designated time frame. In one implementation, thefriend-finding criteria includes one or more of a buddies list, playertracking information, friend-finding player preferences, and dataassociated with a matching service accessible over a network. In oneimplementation, the player tracking information includes one or moreitems associated with the first player. The one or more items caninclude games, a type of machine, a status, point information, an amountwagered, log-in information, a time of game play, game play historyinformation, and a theoretical win. In one implementation, thefriend-finding player preferences include one or more items associatedwith the first player, such as a personal characteristic, a preferredrestaurant, a sport, a show, or a hotel.

In one implementation, the method further includes receiving a selectionindicating desired communications between players. A communications pathis determined for a communications session between the players. Thecommunications path can be determined in accordance with one or morepreferences and restrictions.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatusincludes an interface coupled to receive player identificationinformation identifying a first player of a first gaming deviceconfigured to play a game of chance. The apparatus further includes aprocessor coupled to the interface and configured to: retrieve from astorage medium one or more friend-finding criteria associated with theidentified first player; and identify a second player as a friend or afriend candidate of the first player based on the retrievedfriend-finding criteria. A location associated with the second player isidentified as being in a designated area of the gaming environment.Output data indicating the identified second player is provided.

In one implementation, the interface includes a player tracking unit. Inone implementation, the apparatus further includes a player interfacecoupled to receive a selection indicating desired communications betweenthe players.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a systemincludes a gaming device in communication with a network. The gamingdevice includes a player interface coupled to receive playeridentification information identifying a first player of a first gamingdevice configured to play a game of chance. The system further includesa server in communication with the network. The server includes anetwork interface coupled to receive the player identificationinformation from the gaming machine over the network, and a processorcoupled to the interface. The processor is configured to: retrieve froma storage medium one or more friend-finding criteria associated with theidentified first player; identify a second player as a friend or afriend candidate of the first player based on the retrievedfriend-finding criteria, including identifying a location associatedwith the second player as being in a designated area of the gamingenvironment; and provide output data indicating the identified secondplayer.

All of the foregoing methods and apparatus, along with other methods andapparatus of aspects of the present invention, may be implemented insoftware, firmware, hardware and combinations thereof. For example, themethods of aspects of the present invention may be implemented bycomputer programs embodied in machine-readable media and other products.Also, aspects of the invention may be implemented by networked gamingmachines, game servers and other such devices. These and other featuresand benefits of aspects of the invention will be described in moredetail below with reference to the associated drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, whichare illustrative of specific embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a casino gaming environment includingsystems and apparatus for players of wagering games to find friends,constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a casino gaming environment includingsystems and apparatus for players of wagering games to find friends,constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a system, including apparatus andinterfaces, to facilitate players finding friends in a gamingenvironment, constructed according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 shows a diagram of a table of friend-finding criteria stored fora plurality of players for the purpose of finding friends in a gamingenvironment, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5A shows a flow diagram of a method 500 for players of wageringgames to find friends in a gaming environment, performed in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5B shows a flow diagram of a method 501 of player sign-up andinitialization for players of wagering games to find friends in a gamingenvironment, performed in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5C shows a flow diagram of a method 502 of finding friends in agaming environment, performed in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5D shows a flow diagram of a method 503 of communicating withfriends and friend candidates in a gaming environment, performed inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram of a method 505 for initialization of playerfriend-finding services for players of wagering games to find friends ina gaming environment, performed in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram of a method 615 for a player to selectfriend-finding services, performed in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram of a method 620 of defining communicationspreferences and restrictions for security purposes, performed inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show a flow diagram of a method 530 for finding friendcandidates using designated friend-finding services, performed inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows a flow diagram of a method 940 for identifying friendcandidates on external matching service sites, such as those publiclyavailable over the Internet, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of a gaming machine constructed according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a network device that can be configured asa server or other data processing apparatus for implementing embodimentsof the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram depicting a network of gaming machines andother devices within a gaming establishment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to some specific embodiments of theinvention including the best modes contemplated by the inventors forcarrying out the invention. Examples of these specific embodiments areillustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention isdescribed in conjunction with these specific embodiments, it will beunderstood that it is not intended to limit the invention to thedescribed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to coveralternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.Moreover, numerous specific details are set forth below in order toprovide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The presentinvention may be practiced without some or all of these specificdetails. In other instances, well known process operations have not beendescribed in detail in order not to obscure the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention include methods and apparatus thatenable players of wagering games to identify, locate, and communicatewith friends and potential friends in a gaming environment such as acasino. Existing friends and friend candidates located at designatedareas and during designated timeframes can be identified and notified ofeach others presence. The term “friend candidate” generally refers to aplayer who meets some criteria for being introduced to another player.Embodiments of the invention incorporate techniques for filtering andselecting friend candidates by leveraging player preference data,relationship preferences and criteria, player tracking information, andother information gathered and maintained by gaming establishments forplayers, often those participating in casino loyalty and bonusingprograms. Using these techniques and others described herein, friendcandidates likely to have a successful friendship or other relationshipare identified, selected, and introduced to one another. Embodiments ofthe invention further include techniques for establishing andfacilitating communications between friends and friend candidates.

Application of the techniques described herein for identifying new andexisting friends is desirable to further the fun and excitement ofcasino gaming. Friends who locate one another can discuss experiences,tell each other where they are, arrange to meet, and pursue morecasino-related fun together. Friends are more likely to gamble together,eat and drink together, and pursue other types of fun. The techniquesdescribed herein enable groups of friends to be formed and expanded. Theplayer benefits by increased social networking opportunities, which addto the fun and excitement of the gaming experience. The gamingestablishment and gaming machine manufacturers only stand to profit byreaping the financial benefits of friends gambling longer and makingmore purchases while having fun together at the casino. It is likelythat machines having friend-finding capabilities would be morefrequently played than those without, with all else equal, because ofthe added excitement of the friend-finding capabilities describedherein.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide for automatic friendidentification responsive to a player inserting his player tracking cardin the machine. When the player tracking card is read, and the playerfile is retrieved and processed, the player is notified of identifiedfriends and friend candidates. Friends can communicate with one anotherby one or more of several communications paths. For example, players cansend text, audio, and video messages between their gaming machines.

Other embodiments of the present invention provide for an interface tomatching services accessible over data networks such as the Internet. Inone embodiment, a player tracking server defines a transparent interfaceto the matching service and selects certain features of the matchingservice to present to the players. The player tracking server is alsocoupled to provide a layer of customized friend-finding features usingplayer tracking and other gaming information.

In one example, when a casino customer inserts his player tracking card,the player tracking server or other data processing device accessesmatching services and databases, such as myspace.com and true.com, andthe like for friends. When friends, potential dating partners, or formerschoolmates, for example, are identified as being located in the casino,a list of those friends and friend candidates is presented to theplayer. Communications sessions between machines can be initiated at therequest of the player or players. Introduced players can set up meetingsor dates, gamble together, form friendships, and pursue various mutualand social experiences.

FIG. 1 shows a casino gaming environment including systems and apparatusfor players of wagering games to find friends, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the system 100 includesa plurality of gaming machines 102 a, 102 b, and 104. In one embodiment,the gaming machines 102 a and 102 b are part of a bank of gamingmachines served by a gaming machine server 106. The bank of gamingmachines 102 a and 102 b are situated at a defined location A of thegaming environment, such as a position near the front door of thecasino. Gaming machine 104 is situated at a different location B in thecasino, such as a different floor or level than location A.

In FIG. 1, the gaming machines or devices 102 a, 102 b, and 104 may haveconfigurations similar to those described below, and may have a widevariety of other configurations, and in general include any game which acasino or other entity wishes to monitor. For example, the gamingmachine 104 may actually comprise a table game, such as a game tableadapted to present the game of “Twenty-One” to one or more players. Insuch event, the table or other gaming machine may include one or moredevices arranged to receive player identification information andotherwise permit implementation of the methods and apparatus as detailedbelow. Such devices may further include coin or token acceptors foraccepting bets or wagers by each player, and a card reader for reading aplayer card. In one embodiment, information such as rate of play,average bet and time played may be input into a device by a dealer orother game operator as the game is played. A player tracking server 110may be adapted to monitor the play of these and other gaming devices andgame events. Such games/devices can include bingo, keno, and sports andother betting events.

In FIG. 1, the various gaming machines in system 100 are interconnectedthrough a suitable network 108, such as a gaming network as describedbelow. Gaming network 108 is a suitable wired or wireless network. Inone embodiment, gaming network 108 is an entirely intra-casinocommunications network, meaning that the network can be generallycharacterized as within the casino and private; that is, the casinocontrols the network, and the network 108 is secured and protected fromaccess over other data networks such as the Internet. In anotherembodiment, as described below, a network interface is provided so thatgaming network 108 is accessible over an external public network, suchas the Internet. In yet another embodiment, the network 108 comprisesportions of a private network and a public network.

In FIG. 1, gaming network 108 may have a variety of configurations, andas noted above may comprise wired, wireless or a combination of wiredand wireless communication pathways. Depending upon the configuration ofthe network 108, the network 108 may comprise a wide variety ofcomponents. For example, the network 108 may include wirelesscommunication relays or transceivers. The network 108 may also includeone or more hubs or routers. The network 108 may include dedicated orpublic lines. In general, the network 108 is simply adapted to permitthe transmission of data or information (whether in analog and/ordigital form) between the gaming machine server 106, gaming machines,and the player tracking server 110.

In FIG. 1, the player tracking server 110 is typically located in anarea controlled by casino personnel, such as a back room or location 112of the casino offices. The gaming machines 102 a, 102 b, and 104 aregenerally associated with the player tracking server 110. One or moreappropriate communications links in gaming network 108, whether wired orwireless, permit information to be transferred to and from each gamingmachine and the player tracking server 110. A network interface isassociated with the player tracking server 110, and facilitatescommunications to and from the network 108. The player tracking server110 may comprise a single computer or a group of computers associatedwith one another on a network. In one embodiment, the player trackingserver 110 includes at least one data storage element for storing theplayer information. The data storage element may comprise a hard drive,RAM, ROM, tape drive, CD, DVD and/or other memory or data storage memberor element.

In one embodiment, the player tracking server 110 is adapted to monitorplay of the one or more gaming machines, including the activities ofspecific players. The player tracking server 110 is preferably arrangedto obtain game play information, and manipulate that information, suchas by aggregating game play data and displaying game play information.As detailed below, the game play information which is obtained andmonitored may comprise a wide variety of information, such as the lengthof time of game play, amounts bet, amounts awarded, and a wide varietyof other information. The game play data or information preferably alsoincludes information regarding the player of the gaming machine or gameevent, such as the identity of the player. The player tracking server110 may also store information regarding game play, including individualplayer game play. The player tracking server 110 is preferably adaptedto display game play information to a user on a suitable display.

In FIG. 1, the system 100 further includes a player friend-findingserver 114, provided to perform and facilitate methods and apparatus forplayers of wagering games in the casino to find friends, in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment, the playerfriend-finding server 114 is implemented as a component of playertracking server 110. In an alternative implementation, the playerfriend-finding server 114 is constructed as a separate device from theplayer tracking server 110. To perform the methods described herein, theplayer tracking server 110 and player friend-finding server 114 interactwith one another and with other devices and gaming machines in thesystem 100. Thus, both player tracking server 110 and playerfriend-finding server 114 are coupled to gaming network 108 tocommunicate with the various devices in system 100, and with one anotherwhen constructed as separate devices.

In FIG. 1, a number of other devices or systems may be associated withthe network 108 or otherwise be in communication with the playertracking server 110. For example, a variety of personnel/entities may bepermitted to gain access to the information which is monitored andmanipulated. A slot director may obtain access to the network 108 via aremote station or other suitable data processing device, one or more pitbosses through other remote stations, and sports book personnel or asports book director through additional stations. Such stationspreferably include a display for presenting information, one or moreinput devices for accepting user input, such as a mouse or keyboard, anda communications interface. A number of other systems or devices may beassociated with the network 108, and thus the player tracking server110, such as a keno system, sports betting system, and table gamessystem. Each of these systems may include a variety of devices orelements, and may be arranged to generate and transmit information in avariety of forms or manners. For example, the sports betting system maybe particularly adapted to aggregating and manipulating sport bet dataor information.

FIG. 2 shows a system 200 for players of wagering games to find friends,constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention. System 200 includes all of the components of system 100, andadds additional networks and devices to integrate casino friend-findingservices with external matching services available over public networkssuch as the Internet 202. As shown, the Internet is in communicationwith one or more external, e.g., Internet matching services 204 such asmyspace.com, true.com, friendsreunited.com, eharmony.com, match.com, andclassmates.com. As used herein, “external matching service” and“Internet matching service” generally refers to any service accessibleover data networks such as the Internet 202 allowing people to locateand/or communicate with each other.

In one example, before visiting the casino, player A accesses thematching service 204 and sets up an account with identified matches atthe player's home computer 206. Player A's home computer 206 is situatedat location C, such as the player's home or office, a remote locationwith respect to the casino. In another example, player B of gamingmachine 104 holds a portable handheld data processing device 207, suchas a Blackberry, laptop computer, or other suitable device capable ofaccessing external matching service 204 over the Internet 202 or othersuitable data network by virtue of a wireless network interface 208 andcommunications tower 210. In this way, player B can also access one ormore Internet matching services 204 over Internet 202 and establish anaccount with a listing of matches.

In FIG. 2, due to security concerns of most casinos and other gamingenvironment operators, a secure network interface device 212 is coupledbetween the gaming network 108 and the Internet 202. In one embodiment,the secure network interface 212 is under the exclusive control of thecasino 112, to prevent unauthorized access of servers, gaming machines,player accounts, and related services and financial accounts that mightattract hackers. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that, insome embodiments, it is desirable for gaming environment operators suchas casinos to implement and update secure network interfaces 212 withthe highest levels of security to prevent tampering and theft by hackersoperating computers in communication with the Internet 202. In someimplementations, multiple levels or platforms define secure networkinterface 212. For instance, one security level provided by interface212 shields casino data processing devices such as player trackingserver 110 and related data storage devices and mediums from access overthe Internet 202. A second level of security in interface 212 providesplayer tracking server 110 the capability to directly access andretrieve data from Internet matching services 204, but otherwise screenscasino data processing apparatus such as financial data storage devicesand mediums from access by matching services 204.

For additional security where the gaming machine 104 may be connected tothe Internet 202 or some other public network, access to the gamingmachine may be limited by an internal firewall within the gamingmachine. The internal firewall may be hardware, software or combinationsof both that prevent illegal access of the gaming machine by an outsideentity connected to the gaming machine. For instance, an illegal accessmay be an attempt to plant a program in the gaming machine that altersthe operation of the gaming machine from a World Wide Web site. Theinternal firewall is designed to prevent someone such as a hacker fromgaining illegal access to the gaming machine and tampering with it insome manner. The gaming machines 102 a and 102 b may similarly containinternal firewalls.

In FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the gaming network 108 is implemented asan intranet, separate from the Internet 202. The gaming network 108 maybe comprised of fiber optic connections, copper Ethernet connections,wire-less connections or any combinations thereof. The gaming network108 may be a local area network located in a casino and including acasino area network, a bonus game network, and a cashless systemnetwork. As illustrated, the gaming network 108 may be connected to awide area network connecting many physical locations such as a wide areaprogressive network or the Internet 202.

In FIG. 2, game play information is transmitted to the player trackingserver 110 regarding each gaming machine 102 a, 102 b, 104 or other gameplay device/event, such as devices and events associated with a tablegame, e.g., a Blackjack or Poker table. In one embodiment, game playinformation regarding a particular player's activities is transmitted tothe player tracking server 110. When a player wishes to engage the playof the gaming machine 102 a or other gaming device/event, the player mayidentify himself. In one embodiment, a player identifies himself withhis player card. As noted above, such a card may be encoded withidentification information. When using the gaming machine, the playermay insert their player card into the card reader associated with aplayer tracking device. The card reader reads the information from thecard and then transmits the information. As illustrated in FIG. 1, theidentification information may be transmitted directly from the gamingmachine 104 to the player tracking server 110 or, from gaming machine102 a, first be transmitted to the gaming machine server 106 and then tothe player tracking server 110.

In one embodiment, player identification information may be stored atthe player tracking server 110. In response to a player identificationcode or number, such as read from the player card, more detailedinformation regarding the player may be obtained from the memory. Inanother embodiment, such detailed information may be stored remotely andeither obtained by or transmitted to the player tracking server 110. Forexample, the player card may have an encoded identification code, suchas AX18329IK. This code may be associated with the player known as JohnDoe. A file may be associated with the player's code, which fileincludes a variety of information such as the full name and address ofthe player, their telephone number, accrued points, and other data. Inresponse to receiving the player's code, the player tracking server 110may obtain information regarding the player from the file or otherlocation.

Game play information is also transmitted to the player tracking server110. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, theinformation is related to player gaming activity. For example, thegaming machine 102 b may transmit information regarding a player'swagers, time play began, time play ended, awards or payouts, and otherinformation. Such information may further include, but is not limited tothe following: total number of gaming machines presently in use/play;the number of players of the gaming machines in use which are presentlyactive or playing a game; the number of players of gaming machines whohave provided their player identification information (or the number ofplayers of machines who have not); the type of gaming machines which arebeing played; and a wide variety of other information.

A display coupled to the player tracking server 110 is operable todisplay interfaces presenting detailed information regarding players orpatrons, such as players of the gaming machines or other devices of thesystem. When players identify themselves, such as by using a playercard, then the information may include information from that player'sfile, such as the player's name, number of accrued points, nickname orpreferred name and/or other information. If a player of a game has notidentified themselves, then the player may be identified anonymously.

The game play information is preferably generated at the gaming machine102 b or other gaming device. The information may be aggregated andtransmitted at intervals, such as predetermined intervals of time, tothe player tracking server 110. In certain embodiments of the invention,the transmitted information may comprise “point” or similar information.The gaming machine 102 b or other device may be configured to generatepoint information based upon particular player events, such as theplacing of bets. This point information may be transmitted to the playertracking server 110. Of course, the gaming machine 104, slot system, orother device/element may be adapted to utilize a particularcommunication format or format data or information in one or moremanners which is different from that of other systems. In a preferredembodiment, the player tracking server 110 is provided with an interfaceallowing the data in different forms to be integrated and presentedcohesively.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a system 300 including apparatus andinterfaces to facilitate players finding friends in a gamingenvironment, constructed according to one embodiment of the presentinvention. In FIG. 3, a portion of gaming machine 102 a is shown,including one or more displays 302, and additional components such ascamera 304, microphone 306, and speaker 308. In FIG. 3, a portion 303 ofdisplay 302 is dedicated to outputting the games of chance played onmachine 102 a. This includes the outcomes of the wagering game, as wellas credits, history, menus, and other information displayed onconventional electronic gaming machines.

In addition, in FIG. 3, a portion of the display screen 302, or asecondary or different display screen, provides a graphical userinterface (GUI) for access and use of player friend-finding services inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention. For instance, inthe friend-finding interface portion of display 302, an image of playerA 310, identifying player A of gaming machine 102 a, is displayed nextto the name of player A. For example, such an image can be submitted aspart of player A's profile during sign-up for player friend-findingservices, as described below.

In FIG. 3, display 302 includes a buddy list 312 identifying friends andpotential friends of player A, using friend-finding methods andapparatus in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Forinstance, buddy list 312 identifies three friends of player A: Sam, Daveand Ed. An additional region of display 302, in one embodiment, includesa “buddy data” selection 314, the clicking or touching of whichretrieves additional data describing the individuals in buddy list 312,as described below. In one embodiment, under buddy list 312, each friendis identified by name, image if available, and possibly additionalinformation such as last login time. In one embodiment, a selection 316next to friends with whom communications are permitted and authorized,as described below, allows player A to select and open communicationswith particular friends. For instance, selection 316 can provide aninstant message (IM) to be sent to the selected friend at the gamingmachine the selected friend is playing or a portable data processingdevice carried by the player, such as a cell phone or Blackberry.Additional communications capabilities are described below.

In FIG. 3, gaming machine 104 shows a display 318 with a different menuof features provided to player B, in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention. In display 318, player Sam is operating gamingmachine 104. Thus, in one embodiment, at the top of the screen, Sam'sname and digital photograph 320 are displayed. The game or games playedon machine 104 are output in a field 322 of display 318. In Sam'sgraphical user interface, player A has been identified as a friendrecently logged into player tracking server 110. In addition, thegraphical interface presented to Sam on display 318 provides selectionswhich can be touched or clicked to find additional friends. Theseselections include “view casino buddies” button 324, “find casinofriends” button 326, and “find Internet matches” button 328. Selectionof the view casino buddies button 324 causes gaming machine 104 torequest a list of casino buddies currently or recently logged intoplayer tracking server 110 and, therefore, identified as being in thecasino 110. Selection of the find casino friends button 326 causesgaming machine 104 to send a request message to player friend-findingserver 114 to perform methods described below to identify persons in thecasino as friend candidates and present the information on the graphicaluser interface of display 318.

In FIG. 3, selection of the find Internet matches button 328 causes thegaming machine to interface with one or more designated Internetmatching services 204 over a secure Internet connection and retrieveinformation identifying matches and potential matches as friendcandidates. In one embodiment, such information is automaticallyretrieved by player friend-finding server 114 at login, and readilyavailable to the player upon selection of button 328. Upon retrievingInternet matching information, the player friend-finding server 114 cancheck names for Internet matches who have accessed the player trackingserver 110 or otherwise identified themselves as being in casino 112 ora designated location in casino 112 during a designated timeframe, asfurther described below. In addition, selection of a single “findfriends?” button 330 allows for the player to find friends over allthree friend-finding selections 324, 326, and 328, and retrieveidentifications of any and all possible friends from the availablefriend-finding services 324-328 for display in the buddy list 312.

FIG. 4 shows a table representation of friend-finding criteria storedfor a plurality of players for the purpose of finding friends in agaming environment, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. In FIG. 4, the table 400 is illustrated in two dimensions,with players listed in the rows, and the columns identifying andcategorizing information for finding friends using the variousfriend-finding services available, for each player. In alternativeimplementations, table 400 can be implemented as a multi-dimensionalhierarchy of information and organized appropriately to facilitateleveraging of the friend-finding services as described herein.

In FIG. 4, the information set forth in table 400 can be stored in oneor more databases controlled, in one embodiment, by playerfriend-finding server 114. In another embodiment, a portion of theinformation in FIG. 4, such as player tracking information, ismaintained in a database or other suitable storage medium controlled byplayer tracking server 110. Thus, in some embodiments, the data in table400 represents a combination of separately stored fields of datamaintained by various servers and any other data processing devices. Inone embodiment, certain of the information in table 400 is stored in aplayer tracking account, while other information is stored on a playertracking card carried by the player. The information can be distributedto various storage mediums and organized appropriately to make efficientuse of storage space and ease the process of retrieving and updatingfriend-finding criteria.

In FIG. 4, the rows 402 in table 400 identify specific playersparticipating in the casino loyalty program and friend-finding servicesprovided by the casino. In one embodiment, each player's accountidentifies information to be retrieved and operated upon in performingthe various friend-finding services described herein. For instance,column 404 provides a list of identified friends of the particularplayer 402. For instance, player A is friends with Roger, Dave, andplayer C. In one embodiment, as described below, these friends areidentified as a preliminary matter when the particular player signs upfor the friend-finding services.

In FIG. 4, a second column in table 400 sets forth player trackinginformation 406 that can be used as friend-finding criteria. Variousplayer tracking information can be used to identify friend candidateswith similar interests and situations. For instance, in FIG. 4, player Ahas a list of preferred games, and a casino status identifier, providingan indication of a level of wagering activity or additional gamingbehavior. The status level, such as “Gold,” often qualifies that playerfor a certain status or treatment in a casino loyalty program to receivevarious comps, awards, and other benefits. Other player trackinginformation 406 stored for various players can include amounts wagered,time of last login or access of the player tracking server 110, andother various information. Similar information is stored for player Band other players identified in table 400.

In FIG. 4, in column 406, the casino status identifier field may bestructured to display some indication of a particular player's statusrelative to certain criteria. For example, graphical information may beprovided which indicates a level of a player's play, such as related toamounts bet during a specified period of time. In one example, graphicalinformation regarding a player's level of play comprises a symbol havinga specified color. The particular color of the symbol may indicate thelevel of play.

A wide variety of information may be displayed, including informationwhich indicates a level or status of other activities of a player (otherthan rate of betting) such as a total number of games played by aplayer, the total time a player has played a particular machine, andother characteristics. Other player tracking information 406 can includepresent play actions, such as most recent wagers, game results, and thetype of game played. The information may also include game play history,including a summary of play activity. Such information may include thegames which the player plays and the amounts bet, information regardingthe number of visits of the player to the establishment, actual win andcalculated theoretical win information, amounts bet over time, and awide variety of other information.

In FIG. 4, in column 408, additional friend-finding casino informationis set forth. This information can be stored, for example, in a playertracking account maintained by player tracking server 110 for thevarious players, and stored on other suitable storage mediums, such asplayer tracking cards and other memory devices. Various additionalinformation available to the casino can be used for friend-findingpurposes, such as favorite restaurants, preferred match traits, e.g.,age, gender, astrological sign, and other interests such as particularsports, types of shows, and hotels. Such information can be stored bythe player tracking server 110 or other related server as part of aplayer account to provide bonuses, comps, awards, and directed marketingto players based on their designated interests.

In FIG. 4, column 410 of table 400 identifies specific Internet matchingservices in which players participate, outside of the gamingenvironment. For instance, player A participates in eharmony.com andmyspace.com. Player B participates in true.com, friendsreunited.com andmyspace.com. Often, such matching services 410 are identified as part ofthe player sign-in procedure, described below, and can be updated asdesired by the player. In addition, in some implementations, matches andother pertinent information are automatically retrieved by playerfriend-finding server 114 independent of player login or selection, forinstance, at regular time intervals, so such information is readilyavailable for the player at login or selection of the find Internetmatches button 328. In another example, Internet matching services areidentified on a player tracking card carried by the player. In anotherinstance, such information is specified and stored as a component ofplayer tracking information maintained by the player friend-findingserver 114 or player tracking server 110. In addition, related fields inthe database storing the friend-finding criteria of table 400 storeadditional information for interfacing with the identified Internetmatching services 410 and retrieving match information for playerfriend-finding server 114 to perform the friend-finding methodsdescribed herein.

FIG. 5A shows a flow diagram of a method 500 for players of wageringgames to find friends in a gaming environment, performed in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, method 500 cangenerally be divided into three stages: a player sign-up andinitialization stage 501, a friend-finding stage 502, and acommunications stage 503. The steps categorized under the various stagesrepresent one implementation of methods performed in accordance with thepresent invention. Certain of these steps in the various stages can beomitted or replaced with alternative steps within the spirit and scopeof the present invention.

FIG. 5B shows a flow diagram of a method 501 of player sign-up andinitialization for players of wagering games to find friends in a gamingenvironment, performed in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. In FIG. 5B, the method 501 begins in step 505, in whichplayer friend-finding services provided in accordance with embodimentsof the present invention are initialized. For instance, suitablefriend-finding services include a buddy list 312 and a “find casinofriends” option 326, as described above with respect to FIG. 3. Inaddition, Internet matching services 328 can be accessed over theInternet 202 or another suitable data network. In step 505, onecomponent of the initialization of player friend-finding services is asign-up procedure, which is often implemented as an augmentation of thesign-up procedure for player tracking services. That is, additionalinformation, as described herein, can be gathered from players whensigning up for a player tracking service, when the player also desiresto participate in friend-finding services. The player friend-findingservices initialization procedure is described in further detail belowwith reference to FIG. 6.

In FIG. 5B, the player identification stage of method 500 proceeds fromstep 505 to step 510, in which player identification information isreceived, generally at a gaming machine. Step 510 represents the initiallogin or other player identification occurring when a player inserts aplayer tracking card, for instance, in a player tracking terminal of agaming machine. In other examples, player identification information canbe received at various player identification devices, such as a terminalassociated with a sports betting game, or a table game, for instance,through a dealer or other casino attendant. Thus, methods describedherein are applicable not only to electronic gaming machines, but alsoto other various betting activities, tables, and devices available inmodern casinos. In step 510, location identification information is alsopreferably received by a player tracking server 110 or other suitabledevice performing methods described herein. This location identificationinformation generally identifies a geographic location, for instance, ona casino floor map, identifying particular coordinates and a region inwhich the gaming machine or other wagering device described abovereceives the player identification information.

The player identification information can be input using variousmethods, in addition to player tracking cards. For instance, the playercan sign in using a graphical user interface, with a traditionalkeyboard to type in a player user name, or a touch-screen keyboardintegrated with a display on the gaming machine. In addition, biometricsidentification services can be implemented on a gaming machine. Theseand other techniques are considered within in the spirit and scope ofthe present invention for receiving player identification information toidentify a player, in step 510.

In FIG. 5B, in step 515, after the player identification information isreceived in step 510, the gaming machine or other device at which theidentification information is received sends the player identificationinformation over gaming network 108 to the player tracking server 110and, in some instances, to the player friend-finding server 114 operatedby the casino. When the player tracking server 110 receives the playeridentification information, the player tracking server 110 accesses oneor more player tracking accounts it maintains, and identifies the playertracking account associated with the received player identificationinformation. The player tracking server 110 then reads and, in someinstances, updates the player tracking information maintained for theplayer from whom the player identification information is received. Whenthe retrieved player tracking information indicates that playerfriend-finding services are authorized and permitted, in someembodiments, player friend-finding services are initiated, as describedbelow.

In FIG. 5B, in step 520, a gaming session begins on the gaming machineor other device or table game at which the player is located. In otherwords, the player plays games on the gaming machine or apparatus. Thoseskilled in the art should understand that one or more gaming sessions inwhich the player places wagers to play games of chance on the variousgaming services and devices can occur before, during, and after thefriend-finding services and communications described herein. Step 520 isprovided simply to indicate that the friend-finding services and relatedcommunications are performed in the context of wagering activities in agaming environment such as a casino.

In FIG. 5C, the method 500 proceeds from the player sign-up andinitialization stage 501, implemented in one embodiment as steps505-520, to the friend-finding stage 502, in which friend-findingservices provided in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention, are accessed and performed. In one embodiment, thefriend-finding stage 502 begins in step 525, in which friend-findingservices are initiated. In one implementation, friend-finding servicesare automatically initiated responsive to a player login at a playertracking terminal of the gaming machine or other wagering device oractivity.

The player tracking account maintained for a particular player oftenidentifies one or more player friend-finding services in which theplayer participates or desires to participate. In another embodiment,the player tracking card carried by the player stores informationindicating that player friend-finding services are to be used, and, insome implementations, identifying the particular player friend-findingservices in which the player participates. In an alternativeimplementation, upon insertion of a player tracking card or otheridentification of the player, the player can sign up for and participatein one or more friend-finding services using a gaming machine interface,such as a display integrated with a touch screen displaying a keyboard.

In FIG. 5C, in step 525, responsive to a player request forfriend-finding services, either at sign up for the player trackingprogram or at the gaming machine, friend-finding services are providedto the player, for instance, as graphical buttons 324, 326, 328, and 330on a graphical user interface of a display on the gaming machine. Thus,for instance, a player can click on the “view casino buddies” button 324to view friends whom the player previously identified and are present inthe casino during a designated timeframe and designated location.Similarly, the “find casino friends” button 326 can be pressed toidentify new friends in the casino who match some friend-findingcriteria, as described above with respect to FIG. 4 during a designatedtimeframe and at a designated location.

In FIG. 5C, the friend-finding stage of method 500 proceeds from step525 to 530, in which friend candidates are identified using the selectedfriend-finding services from step 525. That is, friends on a casinobuddies list maintained for the identified player can be retrieved, aswell as friend candidates meeting criteria for new casino friends, andInternet matches meeting matching criteria specified on externalmatching services and, in some instances, as additionally specified withfriend-finding criteria set forth in table 400. The procedure foridentifying friends and friend candidates using the availablefriend-finding services, according to one embodiment, is described belowwith respect to FIG. 9.

In FIG. 5D, after finding friends and friend candidates in thefriend-finding stage 502, the method 500 proceeds to the communicationsstage 503, in which players are provided with the opportunity torequest, initiate, and establish communications with friends and friendcandidates identified using the friend-finding services describedherein. For instance, after a list of friends and friend candidates arepresented to a player, such as on display 302 of gaming machine 102 a inFIG. 3, the player is presented in step 535 with the option ofrequesting communications with a friend or friend candidate. Forinstance, in one implementation, the player simply clicks on a digitalimage, such as a photograph of the identified friend, to requestcommunications. In another example, a suitable graphical button or otherselection is displayed on the graphical display next to the name of theidentified friend or friend candidate. Depending on the desiredimplementation, the player can select, by clicking or otherwise, anidentified friend or friend candidate for communications.

In one implementation, players are provided with the option to screentheir profile or other identification information from others. Forinstance, a player in a casino who wishes to remain anonymous orunavailable to friends and others may wish to hide that player's profilefrom the list of available players maintained by player friend-findingserver 114. Preferably, when the screening option is implemented, theplayer is able to screen his or her profile at anytime during a gamingsession, for instance, upon login at the gaming machine. Thus, in step535, when a player has opted to screen his profile, regardless ofwhether that player meets friend-finding criteria for another player,the screening player's profile will not be displayed until a later timewhen the player makes his or her profile public again.

In FIG. 5D, when the player does not request communications with anyidentified friends or friend candidates, the player can continue placingwagers or otherwise interacting with the gaming machine during a gamingsession, in step 540. In one embodiment, the friend-finding services areautomatically performed and repeated over designated time intervalsduring a gaming session, so new friends and friend candidates can beidentified after a gaming session has begun. For instance, in oneembodiment, the player friend-finding server 114 searches for friendsand friend candidates using the available options every 60 secondsduring a gaming session. Thus, as identified friends and friendcandidates leave and new friends and friend candidates appear on thescene, the list of friends and friend candidates is updated in nearreal-time. This way, the player is presented with an accurate indicationof which friends and friend candidates are physically present in thegaming environment at any given time. In one embodiment, as new friendsand friend candidates are identified during a gaming session, the methodreturns to step 535 to prompt the player for communications with newlyidentified friends and friend candidates in near real time.

In FIG. 5D, when the player selects to communicate with identifiedfriends and friend candidates in step 535, the method proceeds to step545, in which the selection is passed from the gaming machine to theplayer friend-finding server 114. This selection can indicate one ormore friends and friend candidates with whom communication is desired.Responsive to receiving the selection, in step 545, the playerfriend-finding server 114 confirms that the selected friends and friendcandidates are still present in the gaming environment. In oneembodiment, preferably geographical regions and timeframes are specifiedto restrict the determination. For instance, some casinos are so largethat it would be impractical to simply identify a friend as located inthe casino. Thus, during the sign-up procedure of step 505, the playercan specify a distance from the player's machine within which friendsand friend candidates must be situated to be identified. For instance,the player could specify 100 feet, 500 feet or 1000 feet as a radiusfrom where the player is located.

Similarly, a timeframe can be specified during sign-up or at initiationof friend-finding services in step 525 designating a window within whichfriends must have logged in or otherwise been identified in the gamingenvironment. For example, the player can specify a 20-minute timeframein which other players must identify themselves at a particular locationin the casino to be presented to the player as a friend or friendcandidate.

In FIG. 5D, in step 545, the player friend-finding server 114 confirmsthat selected friends and friend candidates are still present, that is,meeting the designated location and timeframe parameters specified bythe player, or in some implementations, automatically specified by thecasino. When the selected friend candidates meet the time and distancerequirements, a message is sent from the player friend-finding server114 to the gaming machine at which the player is located, indicatingthat friends are present. Responsive to this confirmation message, asuitable message is displayed to the player on a display of the gamingmachine, such as “Dave is still in the casino. Would you like to chatwith him?” Other suitable messages can be output to inform the player ofthe status of a selected friend, as will be appreciated by those skilledin the art.

In one implementation, players participating in the playerfriend-finding services are able to leave messages as to their statuswith the player friend-finding server. For example, when a playerparticipating in the friend-finding services is moving about a casinoand has been unable to find a friend, that player can leave a messagewith the friend-finding server indicating an intended player recipientand specifying some information, such as a time and location to meet.Thus, when Dave terminates game play on a particular gaming machine,Dave can leave a message that he is moving to the sports bar, and anintended recipient for the message. Thus, when player A logs onto amachine some designated time later, Dave will appear on the buddy list312 with a message indicating the time at which Dave logged off of themachine he was playing, and his intended destination of the sports bar.Thus, player A can be provided with some opportunity to find Dave.

In FIG. 5D, in step 550, after confirming that selected friends andfriend candidates are present, one or more communications paths aredetermined for the players to communicate with one another in accordancewith preferences specified by the players and restrictions implementedby the casino or other gaming machine provider, depending on the desiredimplementation. In one example, text messaging services are implementedin text boxes displayed on the graphical displays of gaming machines soa player and a selected friend can communicate in near real-time bytyping text messages and sending them to one another. In addition,speakers and microphones are implemented on the gaming machines so theplayers can communicate by speaking to one another over communicationslines coupled between the gaming machines, for instance, as part of thegaming network 108. In addition, in some implementations, videocommunications are implemented in the form of video cameras mounted onthe gaming machines and coupled to one another over video communicationschannels of the gaming network 108 or other suitable communicationsnetwork.

In step 550, one or a combination of the various communications optionsare selected by the player. Responsive to the selections, thefriend-finding server 114 checks the selections against playerpreferences for communications specified by the respective players. Forinstance, some players may indicate during sign-up that only textmessaging is permitted. In another example, a player can specify thataudio and video communications only be enabled with friends appearing ona buddy list. In another example, when communications are requested froma player during a gaming session, the player is provided with theopportunity at that time to select an appropriate communications pathdepending on who is requesting communications. In addition, whencommunications paths are determined in step 550, in one embodiment, theplayer friend-finding server 114 determines that mutual playerpreferences are satisfied. Thus, when one player desires video and audiocommunications but the friend candidate specifies only text, the playerfriend-finding server will output a message to the player requestingvideo and audio, indicating that only text messaging is permitted, andrequesting authorization to proceed with text communications.Preferably, to maintain overall player satisfaction and privacy of thoseparticipating in the player friend-finding services described herein,mutual preferences for communications are satisfied beforecommunications paths are opened.

In FIG. 5D, in step 550, the casino or other gaming establishmentoperator can specify levels of communications. For instance, to maintainoverall privacy, the casino may restrict initial communications betweena player and a friend candidate who have not communicated with oneanother through the casino friend-finding services, to text messagesonly. Also, the casino may automatically enable video and audiocommunications between players who are on one another's buddy lists.These and other restrictions can be placed by the casino oncommunications to provide players with the desired communications whilerespecting player privacy.

In FIG. 5D, after determining the appropriate communications paths instep 550, the method proceeds to step 555 in which a communicationssession is opened between the player and selected friend or friendcandidate over the designated communications paths. Suitablecommunications sessions can be performed using instant messaging “IM”services implemented in the form of pop-up messages on a display screen,as well as near real-time text messages in text boxes, and audio andvideo communications implemented using, for example, video cameras andspeakers. Through these and other options for communications, providedin accordance with the desired implementation, the player and friendscan communicate with one another.

In FIG. 5D, in step 555, in one implementation, three-way and multipleparty communications sessions can be established. For instance, whenthree or more players locate one another using the friend-findingservices described herein, a chat room can be initiated, allowing theplayers to communicate with one another. Thus, a group of friends caneasily discuss and agree in near real-time as to an intended destinationand time to meet one another for gaming and other various funactivities.

FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram of a method 505 for initialization of playerfriend-finding services, representing a sign-up procedure as mentionedabove with reference to FIG. 5. The method 505 begins in step 605, inwhich a player inputs personal information to create or update a playertracking account. For instance, step 605 can occur when the playerinitially signs up for a player tracking program offered by a casino.The player information received in step 605 includes conventional playertracking information, as well as certain additional profile parametersto be used by friend-finding services described herein. For instance,additional profile information can include a digital image of the playerto be displayed on other players' interfaces when the player isidentified as a friend or friend candidate. Other friend-finding profileinformation received in step 605 can include that described above withreference to FIG. 4.

In FIG. 6, the method proceeds from step 605 to step 610, in which theplayer is presented with the opportunity to participate infriend-finding services provided by the gaming environment. Forinstance, at a kiosk or other device, the player can be prompted with agraphical button stating, “Participate in friend-finding services?” Whenthe player selects the friend-finding services option, in oneembodiment, the kiosk or other data processing device prompts the playerto input additional information to be used by the friend-findingservices herein. For example, the player can be presented with atimeframe selection and location selection to define a time window anddistance from the player's location to find friends and friendcandidates. For instance, a player can specify that the player onlydesires to be notified of friends who were identified by the playertracking server 110 within 20 minutes of the time of initiation offriend-finding services, and within 500 feet of the player's location atthat time. In another embodiment, the timeframe and location parametersare automatically set by the casino.

In FIG. 6, the method proceeds from step 610 to step 615, in which theplayer selects particular friend-finding services in which toparticipate. The various services that can be offered include thosedescribed above, such as the buddies list, casino friend-findingservices, and Internet matching services. The selection offriend-finding services in step 615 is further described below withreference to FIG. 7.

In FIG. 6, the method proceeds from step 615 to step 620, in whichcommunications preferences and restrictions can be defined for playersecurity. Such preferences and restrictions are desirable for bothcasinos and players to designate preferred mediums of communication withfriends and friend candidates as well as set restrictions on who cancommunicate with the player, and what personal player information can beviewed by other players. The definition of communications preferencesand restrictions in step 620 is further described below with referenceto FIG. 8.

FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram of a method 615 for a player to selectfriend-finding services, performed in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention. The method 615 begins in step 705, in which oneor more internal casino friend-finding services are presented to theplayer, for example in the form of a menu on a graphical user interface,as shown in FIG. 3. In some implementations, casinos and gaming machinemanufacturers may desire that no external matching services, such asthose available over the Internet, be made available to players. Such isoften due to security reasons, in that some casinos prohibit anyInternet or other external data network connection to the gaming network108. Thus, in some implementations, the method 615 is performed toinclude only steps 710-730, as described below, omitting the additionalsteps described with respect to external, e.g., Internet matchingservices.

In FIG. 7, in other implementations, casinos having a secure networkinterface 212 to the Internet 202, as described above with reference toFIG. 2, provide for the integration of casino friend-finding serviceswith matching services accessible over the Internet 202. In this way,the casino can provide for both existing relationships, e.g., buddylists, maintained within the casino and outside the casino, andfriend-finding services, using casino resources and Internet resourcesto provide the player with maximum friend-finding opportunities.

In FIG. 7, the presentation of internal casino friend-finding servicesbegins with the offering of a buddy list to the player, in step 710.When the player chooses to use a buddy list, in step 715, the player isthen provided with an interface to input existing friend information.Often, this includes the names of friends the player wishes to identifywithin the casino. In one implementation, the inputted names of friends,and any additional friend identification information is checked againstthe player tracking accounts maintained by the player server 110 toidentify those players known to the casino. The identified friends arethen linked as “buddies” of an account maintained on behalf of theplayers signing up for friend-finding services.

In FIG. 7, the method proceeds to step 720, in which the player ispresented with the option of participating in casino friend-findingservices. Such friend-finding services are offered by the casino to findcandidates on behalf of the player using friend-finding criteria, asdescribed above with reference to FIG. 4. In one implementation, in step720, when the player opts to participate in casino friend-findingservices, the method proceeds to step 725, in which the player canselect player tracking criteria, such as player tracking information 406in FIG. 4, or any other information described above with reference toFIG. 4, to use as criteria to identify friend candidates.

In FIG. 7, in step 730, the player can select additional friend-findingcriteria and information 408, as shown in FIG. 4. Such additionalfriend-finding information can include other gambling andentertainment-related information indicative of the player's interestsin a new friend. For example, additional friend-finding casinoinformation can include favorite restaurants, preferred match traits,e.g., age, gender, sexual orientation, and other interests. Theselection of player tracking information and additional friend-findinginformation maintained in table 400 of FIG. 4 can be input using punchcards, or graphical user interfaces with categories and selections forthe player. The selected friend-finding criteria is then maintained in asuitable form, such as table 400, and associated with an accountmaintained for the player.

In FIG. 7, when external, e.g., Internet matching services are madeavailable, the player is presented with the option of accessing matchinformation on the external services as part of the playerfriend-finding services offered by the casino, in step 735. When theplayer selects external matching services, in step 735, the methodproceeds to step 740, in which the player can identify and selectexternal matching services with which the player participates.Preferably, as shown in FIG. 2, a player has already established amembership in the desired Internet matching services at a home or officepersonal computer or other suitable data processing device beforevisiting the casino. The player, in step 740, can select Internetmatching services, such as myspace.com, eharmony.com,friendsreunited.com, true.com, classmates.com, and others. Those skilledin the art should appreciate that future social websites available overthe Internet are considered matching services within the spirit andscope of the present invention.

In FIG. 7, in step 745, after available Internet matching services areidentified and selected by the player, login and password procedures aredefined, in step 745, for Internet matching services that are secure.These include sites such as eharmony.com and match.com, requiring a username and password to log into an account maintained for the participant.Alternatively, other open sites, such as myspace.com, need not beaddressed in step 745, and the method can proceed to step 750 describedbelow. In step 745, the player is presented with security options forthe handling of logins and passwords. The options allow the player tochoose a level of security for accessing external matching services thatis comfortable to the player. Generally, many matching serviceparticipants would be adverse to storing login and password informationon a server out of their control, such as a casino server or database.Other participants, however, would not object if it would facilitate thefriend-finding services. Thus, in one implementation, in step 745, loginand password procedures can be defined in a more secure manner for someplayers, and in a less secure manner for others.

In FIG. 7, in step 745, one less secure option, from the perspective ofa player, is to simply request that the player provide login andpassword information and have such information stored on a suitablestorage medium controlled by the casino, such as under a player trackingaccount for the player. The casino would then preferably establish asecure communications path over secure network interface 212 in FIG. 2,with the designated Internet matching services 204 to access andretrieve information for the player.

Alternatively, another login and password option under step 745 includesstoring the player login and password information for external matchingservices on the player tracking card or other suitable memory devicecarried by the player. Then, the information is only retrieved andstored in short term memory at the initiation of or during a gamingsession, when the player inserts the card in the player tracking deviceof a gaming machine or other identification device when participating ina wagering game. In this implementation, the login ID and password areread off of the card and provided to the player friend-finding server114 to access designated Internet matching services 204 over theInternet 202. For instance, in one embodiment, immediately uponinsertion of the player tracking card in a player tracking device, thelogin ID and password are retrieved, provided to the player trackingserver 110, used to access designated Internet matching servicesassociated with the login ID and password, and Internet matchinginformation is retrieved.

In FIG. 7, in step 745, another implementation of defining the login andpassword procedure includes specifying that login IDs and passwords areonly to be provided on an as-needed basis during the gaming session. Inthis implementation, step 745 simply presents the player with the optionof designating that login IDs and passwords for external matchingservices will be provided only when those sites are accessed. Later, atthe initiation of player friend-finding services, as described herein,the player is presented with the option on a display of the gamingmachine of interfacing with the external matching service. In oneimplementation, the player selects particular matching services, asdesignated during sign-up or at a later time, and login IDs andpasswords are then read off of the player's tracking card or typed intoa text box on a graphical interface using a keyboard or keypadimplemented on the gaming device, for instance, using a touch screenoverlaying a display on the machine. A secure communications path isthen established between the gaming machine and the player trackingserver 110, and between the player tracking server 110 and Internetmatching service 204, for access of the player account.

In FIG. 7, upon completion of the selection and set-up of both internalfriend-finding services offered by the casino and any external matchingservices, the selections of the various services and player informationused to access and perform the various friend-finding services isreceived and stored in an account associated with the player, such as aplayer tracking account. The information can be structured in variousforms, such as the table format of FIG. 4. In one embodiment, thereceived player information is stored at a database or other suitablestorage medium coupled to the player tracking server 110 and/orfriend-finding server 114. In another implementation, such data isstored on a portable memory device carried only by the player, such as aplayer tracking card or smart card. In the latter embodiment, suchinformation is retrieved from the card only when friend-finding servicesare initiated or requested by the player. In addition, step 750 isgenerally performed at the end of the sign-up process, and is againperformed when there are any updates made by the player or by the playertracking server 110 to the stored information. For instance, playertracking information components 406 of the player information are oftenupdated responsive to wagering activity and other actions taken by aplayer as recorded by a casino or an affiliate of the casino.

FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram of a method 620 of defining communicationspreferences and restrictions for security purposes, performed inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The method 620can be performed at sign-up for friend-finding services, as describedabove with reference to FIG. 6, as well as updated at later times asdesired by the player. The method 620 begins in step 805, in which theplayer is presented with the option of restricting communications on whocan communicate with the player. For instance, a player may specify thatonly individuals identified on the player's buddy list can contact orotherwise communicate with the player during a gaming session. Inanother example, a player specifies that only gold members, that isplayers achieving a “gold” level status based on wagering activity areallowed to send instant messages or other forms of communications to theplayer when identified. Other examples of individual communicationsrestrictions include only members of a particular gender, onlyindividuals within 5 years of the player's age, only myspace.comparticipants, and other suitable parameters desired by the player. Bythe same token, some players may choose to set no restrictions on whocan communicate with them, in step 805, desiring maximum leveraging ofthe friend-finding services described herein.

In FIG. 8, the method proceeds from step 805 to step 810, in whichpreferred communications paths and limitations are set by the player.Generally, in step 810, the player indicates whether and by what mediumsfriends and friend candidates can communicate with the player. Forinstance, in one implementation, the player specifies who is able toinitiate communications: only the player, both the player and friend orfriend candidate, or only the friend. Also, in step 810, the player canbe presented with a list of available communications methods, and theplayer selects which communications are acceptable and preferred. Forinstance, the player can authorize only certain communications pathssuch as text messaging between gaming machines, audio and/or video, anddelayed messaging, for instance, leaving an email or other suitablemessage to be stored for later access by the player. In oneimplementation, upon selection of the authorized communications levels,the player also specifies a hierarchy of the selected communicationsmediums. Thus, in this implementation, before communications areestablished, the friend-finding server 114 checks both the player's andfriend's or friend candidate's preferred communications paths to selecta path that is agreeable to both players.

In FIG. 8, the method proceeds from step 810 to step 815, in whichviewing restrictions can be set on player information. For instance, aplayer participating in a friend-finding service performed in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention can indicate whatinformation about that player is available for viewing by otherparticipants. A wide variety of information could be shown, based on theavailable player information maintained in the player tracking accountand as components of the friend-finding criteria in table 400 of FIG. 4.Often, a player may desire that only the name of the player or nicknameor ID of the player be displayed. In another example, a player maydesire that only his picture be shown. Other various information can beselected for display to others, for example, in buddy data field 314 ofFIG. 3, such as last login time, current game being played, phonenumber, age, marital status, buddies list, preferred Internet matchingservices, and additional friend-finding information and player trackinginformation described herein. Often, players will de-select or screensuch information from display, desiring confidentiality of suchinformation.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show a flow diagram of a method 530 for finding friendcandidates using designated friend-finding services, performed inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As mentionedabove with reference to FIG. 5, in one embodiment, players are presentedwith the option 330 of finding friends using all availablefriend-finding services to the casino. When the find friends button 330is selected in FIG. 3, all of the steps described below with referenceto FIG. 9 are automatically performed. Alternatively, as describedbelow, the player is presented with options, such as options 324, 326,and 328 in FIG. 3, to select particular friend-finding services toidentify friends and friend candidates.

In FIG. 9A, in step 905, internal casino friend-finding services arepresented to the player, for instance, in the form of a graphical userinterface 318 of a gaming machine 104, as shown in FIG. 3. In oneembodiment, the internal casino friend-finding services include a “viewcasino buddies” option 324 and a “find casino friends” option 326. Theseoptions are referred to as “internal” to the casino, because nointerface or connection is needed to the Internet or other external datanetwork. The friend-finding services can be performed entirely withinthe casino using casino-controlled servers and databases.

In FIG. 9A, in step 910, when the player selects the “view casinobuddies” selection 324, the method proceeds to step 915, in which theserver responds to the selection by identifying buddies of therequesting player who have been located by the player tracking and/orplayer friend-finding server during a designated timeframe and at adesignated location or radius. For instance, returning to FIG. 4, whenplayer B has been identified as the player of gaming machine 104 using aplayer tracking card, Roger and Sam are identified in column 404 oftable 400 as buddies of player B. The player friend-finding server 114then checks whether Roger and Sam have been identified as active in thecasino or other gaming environment during the designated timeframe andat the designated location. For instance, the player friend-findingserver determines that Roger has logged into a machine 100 feet awayfrom the identified location of player B in the last 15 minutes. Duringsign-up, player B indicated a timeframe of 30 minutes and radius of 500feet. Thus, Roger is identified to player B under buddy list 312 ofdisplay 318, in FIG. 3. On the other hand, while Sam is identified as abuddy of player B in buddies list 404, Sam was last identified by theplayer tracking server 110 two days ago. Thus, Sam is not identifiedunder the buddies list 312 presented to player B.

Those skilled in the art should appreciate that timeframe and locationparameters can be defined as appropriate for the particular gamingenvironment and player preferences. In addition, the location parametercan be defined in terms of geographical distance, as well as by groupingof machines. For instance, certain banks of machines known to besituated in a particular location of the casino can define the locationparameter. Thus, any friends on the buddies list 404 who play on thedesignated bank or banks of gaming machines will be identified on thebuddies list.

In FIG. 9A, steps 910 and 915 both proceed to step 920, in which theplayer is presented with the selection of finding casino friendcandidates, for instance, as option 326 in FIG. 3. When the playerselects option 326, the method 530 proceeds to step 925, in which playerfriend-finding criteria is retrieved from a database or other suitablestorage facility, for instance, organized in a form similar to table 400of FIG. 4. One or more designated criteria, as described above withreference to FIG. 4 as player tracking information 406 and additionalfriend-finding casino information 408, can be leveraged to identifyfriend candidates. That is, corresponding information associated withplayers identified by the player tracking server 110 as active in thecasino during the designated timeframe and at designated locations ischecked for satisfaction of the requesting player's criteria in table400.

In FIG. 9A, in step 925, various additional friend-finding information408 can be used as criteria to identify friend candidates. Suchinformation 408 can include player habits, actions, preferences, andstyle data, for example, including details about a) a player's dressingstyle, such as clothing type, clothing brands, jewelry, hat, sunglasses,b) whether the player dresses casually, fashionably, suit and tie, etc.,c) what the player likes to eat or where the player likes to eat, d)whether the player smokes or does not smoke, e) what time or day theplayer is playing, f) what the player drinks, g) how much the playerdrinks, h) what type of games the player likes to play, such asparticular slot games or table games, i) how long the player has played,j) where they were born or where they currently live, k) marital status,l) whether the player talks a lot or is quiet, m) whether the playermakes impulsive bets or plays conservatively, n) how the player betswhen they are winning or losing, o) how the player reacts when they winor lose, p) whether the player tips the dealer or the cocktail waitressand how much the player tips, q) whether the player plays alone or withfriends, r) whether the player is carrying a cell phone, s) what amountdoes the player usually buy-in with to a table game or a slot machine(e.g., $100, $50, etc.), t) player physical characteristics (e.g.,approximate age, weight, hair color, eye color), u) a player'sprofession and v) whether the player is with a particular group orattending a particular convention.

One or more of the wide variety of player tracking information elements406 and additional friend-finding casino elements 408 can be designatedfor selection and filtering of friend candidates. The selection offriend-finding criteria can be done exclusively by the player, forinstance, during sign-up, or alternatively in automated fashion byplayer friend-finding server 114. In step 930, the identified friendcandidates based on the friend-finding criteria who also meet thelocation and timeframe parameters are identified, for instance, underbuddies list 312 of the gaming machine display of the requesting player.

In FIG. 9A, in embodiments where external matching services, such asInternet matching services, are accessible within the casino on a gamingmachine or other wagering device, in step 935, the player is presentedwith the option of accessing such services. For example, the “findInternet matches” selection 328 is presented on display 318 of gamingmachine 104. When the player selects option 328, the method proceeds tostep 940, in which matches are identified on selected matching servicesites. Preferably, the designated location and timeframe parameters arealso checked, so that only matches active as players at the designatedlocation and timeframe are identified for the requesting player. Theprocedures for accessing and retrieving information from externalmatching services are described below with reference to FIG. 10.

In FIG. 9B, in step 945, responsive to the identification of friends andfriend candidates using the selected one or more friend-findingservices, a notification is preferably sent to the player indicatingthat friends and friend candidates have been identified. For example, apop-up graphical message can be caused to appear on the display 318indicating that friends have been found. Other notifications can beprovided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, in a system in which a player's cell phone, PDA, or othersuitable portable computing device is registered with the casino playerfriend-finding server 114 and/or player tracking server 110, automatedemails, text messages, and voice messages can be sent to the portablehandheld device similarly notifying the player that matches have beenfound. This implementation is beneficial for players who may frequentlymove from machine to machine, or make frequent bathroom or restaurantvisits.

In FIG. 9B, in step 950, identified friends and friend candidates arepresented to the player, for example, under the buddy list 312 of thedisplay 318. The presentation of identified friends and friendcandidates can take various forms, depending on the desiredimplementation. For instance, pop-up graphics and text elements canidentify buddies by name, image, nickname, and/or other suitableinformation. In one implementation, the friend-finding servicesdescribed herein are performed repeatedly, for example, every 2 minutesduring a player's gaming session so the buddy list 312 stays current,with friends and friend candidates being added and removed over thecourse of the gaming session. In one implementation, all of theidentified friends and friend candidates are listed under the buddy list312. In another implementation, friends and friend candidates are listedby source, for example, with casino buddies listed under buddy list 312,casino friend candidates found using option 326 identified under acasino friend candidate list, and Internet matches segregated into aseparate list.

In step 950, due to security concerns on the parts of both players andthe casino, preferably only preliminary information identifying a friendor friend candidate is presented to a player. As mentioned above,participating players are preferably presented with the option to selectand filter the information that can be viewed by other players. In oneimplementation, a thumbnail image and a nickname or login name are onlydisplayed. In other implementations, for instance, for friendsidentifying one another on buddy lists, additional information isdisplayed, such as the player's name, image, and location in the casino.

In FIG. 9B, in one embodiment, the method proceeds from step 950 to step955, in which the player is presented with the option of requestingadditional information describing friends and friend candidates. In someimplementations, it is desirable to omit step 955 for participatingplayers who wish to maintain the highest security of their personalinformation and whereabouts. In other instances, players may be open tothe possibility of having their information made available to otherplayers when requested. In these instances, step 955 presents the playerwith the option of selecting such further information for viewing, forexample, by clicking on the name or image of an identified friend orfriend candidate on the display, for example, in the form of a “moreinformation” button.

In FIG. 9B, responsive to the request for further information in step955, the method proceeds to step 960 in which the player friend-findingserver 114 checks whether the requested further information for theselected friend or friend candidate is available and authorized. Thatis, often, as part of the sign-up and account set up procedure, a playermay purposely omit such further information from his profile so that itis unavailable, or may select that certain items of information bescreened from requesting participants until affirmatively authorized bythe player. For instance, during a communications session, as describedbelow, the player may be presented with an option on the gaming machinedisplay to disclose additional personal information, for example, whenthe player reaches some comfort level with the requesting player.

In FIG. 9B, in step 965, when the further information selection isenabled and the information is available, the further information isdisplayed to the player, for instance, under buddy data 314 of display302, in FIG. 3. Such further information is displayed in accordance withviewing restrictions placed on the information, as described in step955. Various further information may be enabled by the friend or friendcandidate for display to requesting players, such as a personalstatement, a profile, and, in some instances, location informationindicating a location of the casino where the friend or friend candidateis located. Again, such information would be purposely screened by manyparticipants, although certain friends and friend candidates may desiredisclosure of such information to add to the excitement of thefriend-finding experience. Also, in step 965, preferably the timeframeand location parameter restrictions are checked before disclosing suchadditional information.

FIG. 10 shows a flow diagram of a method 940 for identifying friendcandidates on external matching service sites, such as those publiclyavailable over the Internet, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention. The method 940 begins in step 1005, in which matchingservices are identified for access. In one embodiment, as describedabove, matching services in which players participate are identified inan Internet matching service column 410 of friend-finding criteria table400, in FIG. 4. In one embodiment, upon selection of the “find Internetmatches” button 328, in FIG. 3, the player friend-finding server 114accesses table 400 and retrieves identified matching services from field410 for the requesting player. In another implementation, identifiedmatching service sites are presented to the player on a display of thegaming machine. The player then selects individual matching servicesites from which to retrieve matches who the player believes may be inthe casino or other gaming environment.

In FIG. 10, upon selection and identification of matching services forthe player, a secure Internet communications path is established betweenthe player friend-finding server 114 and/or player tracking server 110through secure network interface 212. The method then proceeds to step1015, in which any required login IDs and passwords are obtained toaccess restricted external matching services over the Internet. Asdescribed above with reference to FIG. 7, there are variouspossibilities for storing and receiving login IDs and passwords for aparticipating player. Upon retrieval of any required login and passwordinformation for the selected matching services, in step 1020, thematching services are accessed over the secure communications pathdescribed above.

Those skilled in the art should appreciate that interfaces may need tobe constructed for the various websites with particular scripts andfilters to access the matching services according to defined loginprocedures, and then filter through and retrieve match information. Instep 1025, when match information is retrieved from the various sites,the customized interfaces for the respective matching services filterthrough the various organizations of information, for instance, oneharmony.com, to identify friends meeting a certain of level ofcommunications on that matching service, e.g., “open” communications. Bycontrast, a different customized interface is constructed for matchingservice sites such as myspace.com, in which certain groups and lists offriends can be identified with unrestricted access.

In one embodiment, friend and friend candidate identifications areassociated with “promotions.” The promotion may require a number ofcriteria be met in order for a player to be qualified as a friendcandidate for certain players. The promotion may have a time periodduring which the promotion is active and available. In one embodiment, aplayer can only win a promotion by actively playing a gaming machine orengaging in another qualifying event (such as table game play) duringthe promotional period of time. Verification of the player's eligibilitymay be determined by confirming the active status of the player based ontheir player card usage. A player who meets the required promotionrequirements (such as, for example, using their player tracking card andplaying a minimum number of games before the expiration of thepromotional time period) may meet the status level criteria designatedby another player seeking friend candidates.

In FIG. 11, a video gaming machine 2 constructed according to oneembodiment of the present invention is shown. Machine 2 includes a maincabinet 4, which generally surrounds the machine interior (not shown)and is viewable by users. The main cabinet includes a main door 8 on thefront of the machine, which opens to provide access to the interior ofthe machine. Attached to the main door are player-input switches orbuttons 32, a coin acceptor 28, a bill validator 30, a coin tray 38, anda belly glass 40. Viewable through the main door is a video displaymonitor 34 and an information panel 36. The display monitor 34 willtypically be a cathode ray tube, high resolution flat-panel LCD, orother conventional electronically controlled video monitor. Theinformation panel 36 may be a back-lit, silk screened glass panel withlettering to indicate general game information including, for example, agame denomination (e.g. $0.25 or $1). The bill validator 30,player-input switches 32, video display monitor 34, and informationpanel are devices used to play a game on the game machine 2. The devicesare controlled by circuitry (e.g. a master gaming controller) housedinside the main cabinet 4 of the machine 2.

In FIG. 11, the information panel 36 may be used as an interface toprovide player tracking services and other game services to a playerplaying a game on the gaming machine 2. The information panel 36 may beused as an interface by a player to: 1) input player trackingidentification information, 2) view account information and performaccount transactions for accounts such as player tracking accounts andbank accounts, 3) receive operating instructions, 4) redeem prizes orcomps including using player tracking points to redeem the prize orcomp, 5) make entertainment service reservations, 6) transfer credits tocashless instruments and other player accounts, 7) participate in casinopromotions, 8) select entertainment choices for output via video andaudio output mechanisms, 9) play games and bonus games, 10) requestgaming services such as a drink orders, 11) communicate with otherplayers or casino service personnel and 12) register a player for aloyalty program such as a player tracking program. In addition, theinformation panel 36 may be used as an interface by casino servicepersonnel to: a) access diagnostic menus, b) display player trackingunit status information and gaming machine status information, c) accessgaming machine metering information and d) display player statusinformation.

Many different types of games, including mechanical slot games, videoslot games, video poker, video black jack, video pachinko and lottery,may be provided on gaming machine 2. The gaming machine 2 is operable toprovide play of many different instances of games of chance. Theinstances may be differentiated according to themes, sounds, graphics,type of game (e.g., slot game vs. card game), denomination, number ofpaylines, maximum jackpot, progressive or non-progressive, bonus games,etc. The gaming machine 2 may be operable to allow a player to select agame of chance to play from a plurality of instances available on thegaming machine. For example, the gaming machine may provide a menu witha list of the instances of games that are available for play on thegaming machine and a player may be able to select from the list a firstinstance of a game of chance that they wish to play.

The various instances of games available for play on the gaming machine2 may be stored as game software on a mass storage device in the gamingmachine or may be generated on a remote gaming device but then displayedon the gaming machine. The gaming machine 2 may execute game software,such as but not limited to video streaming software that allows the gameto be displayed on the gaming machine. When an instance is stored on thegaming machine 2, it may be loaded from the mass storage device into aRAM for execution. In some cases, after a selection of an instance, thegame software that allows the selected instance to be generated may bedownloaded from a remote gaming device, such as another gaming machine.

In FIG. 11, the gaming machine 2 includes a top box 6 which sits on topof the main cabinet 4. The top box 6 houses a number of devices whichmay be used to add features to a game being played on the gaming machine2, including speakers 10, 12, 14, a ticket printer 18 which printsbar-coded tickets 20, a key pad 22 for entering player trackinginformation, a florescent display 16 for displaying player trackinginformation, a card reader 24 for entering a magnetic striped cardcontaining player tracking information, and a video display screen 42.The ticket printer 18 may be used to print tickets for a cashlessticketing system. The top box 6 may house various devices. For example,the top box may contain a bonus wheel or a back-lit silk screened panelwhich may be used to add bonus features to the game being played on thegaming machine. As another example, the top box may contain a displayfor a progressive jackpot offered on the gaming machine. During a game,these devices are controlled and powered, in part, by circuitry (e.g. amaster gaming controller) housed within the main cabinet 4 of themachine 2.

In one embodiment of gaming machine 2, a player tracking unit and slotmachine interface board (SMIB) are mounted within main cabinet 2. Inalternative embodiments of gaming machine 2, the player tracking unit ismounted within a top box positioned on top of the gaming machinecabinet. Typically, the player tracking unit includes three playertracking devices: a gaming activity card reader; a key pad; and adisplay, all mounted within the unit. These player tracking devices areassociated with a wired Input/Output Interface, and are used to inputplayer tracking information that is needed to implement the playertracking program. The player tracking unit may include a wirelessInput/Output Interface 36 as well. The player tracking unit communicateswith the player tracking server 110 via the SMIB. The SMIB allows theplayer tracking unit to gather information from the gaming machine 2such as an amount a player has wagered during a game play session. Thisinformation may be used by the player tracking server as describedabove.

In one particular embodiment, by way of example, when a game playerdesires to play a game on a gaming machine and utilize the playertracking unit, a game player inserts their issued player trackingidentification device, such as a magnetic striped card, into the cardreader. Briefly, for current player tracking programs, the most commonapproach for providing identification information is to issue amagnetic-striped card storing the necessary identification informationto each player that wishes to participate in a given player trackingprogram. It will be appreciated, however, as will be better describedbelow, that the issued player tracking identification device may bewireless interfaces such as Radio Frequency (RF) enabled smart cardsand/or wireless Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) which enable wirelesscommunication with the player tracking server.

After the magnetic striped or smart card has been so inserted, theplayer tracking unit may detect this event and receive certainidentification information contained on the card. For example, aplayer's name, address, social security number and player trackingaccount number encoded on the magnetic striped card, may be received bythe player tracking unit. In general, a player must provideidentification information of some type to utilize player trackingservices available on a gaming machine.

Once the player has inserted her or his player tracking card, the playertracking unit may command the touch screen display to display the gameplayer's name on the touch screen display and also, may optionallydisplay a message requesting the game player to validate their identityby entering an identification PIN code using a game service interfacewith an alpha-numeric key pad displayed on touch screen display orthrough a player tracking input keypad. For example, the player may usetheir finger, a stylus or combinations thereof to enter theiridentification information using the touch screen sensor. Once the gameplayer's identity has been validated, the player tracking information isrelayed to the player tracking server. Typically, the player trackingserver stores player tracking account records including the number ofplayer tracking points previously accumulated by the player. Using thisgaming activity data, the casino establishment may monitor their gamingactivity for future promotions and customer service. Some playertracking systems, for example, incorporate management programs whichupdate and calculate theoretical win profiles for each respectivecustomer. These profiles are generally a function of estimated winningsfrom the betting activity of the customer at the casino establishmentover a time period.

Understand that gaming machine 2 is but one example from a wide range ofgaming devices on which the present invention may be implemented. Forexample, not all suitable gaming machines have top boxes or playertracking features. Further, some gaming machines have only a single gamedisplay—mechanical or video—while others are designed for bar tables andhave displays that face upwards. As another example, a game may begenerated on a host computer and may be displayed on a remote terminalor a remote gaming device. The remote gaming device may be connected tothe host computer via a network of some type such as a local areanetwork, a wide area network, an intranet or the Internet, by a wired orwireless connection. The remote gaming device may be a portable gamingdevice such as but not limited to a cell phone, a personal digitalassistant, and a wireless game player. Images rendered from 3-D gamingenvironments may be displayed on portable gaming devices that are usedto play a game of chance. Further, a gaming machine or server mayinclude gaming logic for commanding a remote gaming device to render animage from a virtual camera in a 3-D gaming environment stored on theremote gaming device and to display the rendered image on a displaylocated on the remote gaming device. Thus, those of skill in the artwill understand that the present invention, as described below, can bedeployed on most any gaming machine now available or hereafterdeveloped.

Some preferred IGT gaming machines are implemented with special featuresand/or additional circuitry that differentiates them fromgeneral-purpose computers (e.g., desktop personal computers andlaptops). Gaming machines are highly regulated to ensure fairness and,in many cases, gaming machines are operable to dispense monetary awardsof multiple millions of dollars. Therefore, to satisfy security andregulatory requirements in a gaming environment, hardware and softwarearchitectures may be implemented in gaming machines that differsignificantly from those of general-purpose computers. A description ofgaming machines relative to general-purpose computing machines and someexamples of the additional (or different) components and features foundin gaming machines are described below.

At first glance, one might think that adapting PC technologies to thegaming industry would be a simple proposition because both PCs andgaming machines employ microprocessors that control a variety ofdevices. However, because of such reasons as 1) the regulatoryrequirements that are placed upon gaming machines, 2) the harshenvironment in which gaming machines operate, 3) security requirements,and 4) fault tolerance requirements, adapting PC technologies to agaming machine can be quite difficult. Further, techniques and methodsfor solving a problem in the PC industry, such as device compatibilityand connectivity issues, might not be adequate in the gamingenvironment. For instance, a fault or a weakness tolerated in a PC, suchas security holes in software or frequent crashes, may not be toleratedin a gaming machine because in a gaming machine these faults can lead toa direct loss of funds from the gaming machine, such as stolen cash orloss of revenue when the gaming machine is not operating properly.

For the purposes of illustration, a few differences between PC systemsand gaming systems will be described. A first difference between gamingmachines and common PC based computers systems is that gaming machinesare designed to be state-based systems. In a state-based system, thesystem stores and maintains its current state in a non-volatile memory,such that, in the event of a power failure or other malfunction thegaming machine will return to its current state when the power isrestored. For instance, if a player was shown an award for a game ofchance and, before the award could be provided to the player the powerfailed, the gaming machine, upon the restoration of power, would returnto the state where the award is indicated. This requirement affects thesoftware and hardware design on a gaming machine. As anyone who has useda PC knows, PCs are not state machines and a majority of data is usuallylost when such a malfunction occurs.

A second important difference between gaming machines and common PCbased computer systems is that for regulation purposes, the software onthe gaming machine used to generate the game of chance and operate thegaming machine has been designed to be static and monolithic to preventcheating by the operator of the gaming machine. For instance, onesolution that has been employed in the gaming industry to preventcheating and satisfy regulatory requirements has been to manufacture agaming machine that can use a proprietary processor running instructionsto generate the game of chance from an EPROM or other form ofnon-volatile memory. The coding instructions on the EPROM are static(non-changeable) and must be approved by a gaming regulator in aparticular jurisdiction and installed in the presence of a personrepresenting the gaming jurisdiction. Any changes to any part of thesoftware required to generate the game of chance, such as adding a newdevice driver used by the master gaming controller to operate a deviceduring generation of the game of chance can require a new EPROM to beburned, approved by the gaming jurisdiction and installed on the gamingmachine in the presence of a gaming regulator. Regardless of whether theEPROM solution is used, to gain approval in most gaming jurisdictions, agaming machine must demonstrate sufficient safeguards that prevent anoperator or player of a gaming machine from manipulating hardware andsoftware in a manner that gives them an unfair and in some cases anillegal advantage. The gaming machine should have a means to determineif the code it will execute is valid. If the code is not valid, thegaming machine must have a means to prevent the code from beingexecuted. The code validation requirements in the gaming industry affectboth hardware and software designs on gaming machines.

A third important difference between gaming machines and common PC basedcomputer systems is that the number and kinds of peripheral devices usedon a gaming machine are not as great as on PC based computer systems.Traditionally, in the gaming industry, gaming machines have beenrelatively simple in the sense that the number of peripheral devices andthe number of functions of the gaming machine have been limited.Further, in operation, the functionality of gaming machines wererelatively constant once the gaming machine was deployed, i.e., newperipherals devices and new gaming software were infrequently added tothe gaming machine. This differs from a PC where users will buydifferent combinations of devices and software from differentmanufacturers and connect them to a PC to suit their needs depending ona desired application. Therefore, the types of devices connected to a PCmay vary greatly from user to user depending in their individualrequirements and may vary significantly over time.

Although the variety of devices available for a PC may be greater thanon a gaming machine, gaming machines still have unique devicerequirements that differ from a PC, such as device security requirementsnot usually addressed by PCs. For instance, monetary devices, such ascoin dispensers, bill validators, ticket printers and computing devicesthat are used to govern the input and output of cash to a gaming machinehave security requirements that are not typically addressed in PCs.Therefore, many PC techniques and methods developed to facilitate deviceconnectivity and device compatibility do not address the emphasis placedon security in the gaming industry.

To address some of the issues described above, a number ofhardware/software components and architectures are utilized in gamingmachines that are not typically found in general purpose computingdevices, such as PCs. These hardware/software components andarchitectures, as described below in more detail, include but are notlimited to watchdog timers, voltage monitoring systems, state-basedsoftware architecture and supporting hardware, specialized communicationinterfaces, security monitoring and trusted memory.

A watchdog timer is normally used in IGT gaming machines to provide asoftware failure detection mechanism. In a normally operating system,the operating software periodically accesses control registers in thewatchdog timer subsystem to “re-trigger” the watchdog. Should theoperating software fail to access the control registers within a presettimeframe, the watchdog timer will timeout and generate a system reset.Typical watchdog timer circuits contain a loadable timeout counterregister to allow the operating software to set the timeout intervalwithin a certain range of time. A differentiating feature of somepreferred circuits is that the operating software cannot completelydisable the function of the watchdog timer. In other words, the watchdogtimer always functions from the time power is applied to the board.

IGT gaming computer platforms preferably use several power supplyvoltages to operate portions of the gaming machine circuitry. These canbe generated in a central power supply or locally on the circuit board.If any of these voltages falls out of the tolerance limits of thecircuitry they power, unpredictable operation of the gaming machine mayresult. Though most modern general-purpose computers include voltagemonitoring circuitry, these types of circuits only report voltage statusto the operating software. Out of tolerance voltages can cause softwaremalfunction, creating a potential uncontrolled condition in the gamingcomputer. IGT gaming machines typically have power supplies with tightervoltage margins than that required by the operating circuitry. Inaddition, the voltage monitoring circuitry implemented in IGT gamingmachines typically has two thresholds of control. The first thresholdgenerates a software event that can be detected by the operatingsoftware and an error condition generated. This threshold is triggeredwhen a power supply voltage falls out of the tolerance range of thepower supply, but is still within the operating range of the circuitry.The second threshold is set when a power supply voltage falls out of theoperating tolerance of the circuitry. In this case, the circuitrygenerates a reset, halting operation of the computer.

The standard method of operation for IGT slot machine game software isto use a state machine. Different functions of the game (bet, play,result, points in the graphical presentation, etc.) may be defined as astate. When a game moves from one state to another, critical dataregarding the game software is stored in a custom non-volatile memorysubsystem. This ensures the player's wager and credits are preserved andminimizes potential disputes in the event of a malfunction on the gamingmachine.

In general, the gaming machine does not advance from a first state to asecond state until critical information that allows the first state tobe reconstructed is stored. This feature allows the game to recoveroperation to the current state of play in the event of a malfunction,loss of power, etc. that occurred just prior to the malfunction. Afterthe state of the gaming machine is restored during the play of a game ofchance, game play may resume and the game may be completed in a mannerthat is no different than if the malfunction had not occurred.Typically, battery backed RAM devices are used to preserve this criticaldata although other types of non-volatile memory devices may beemployed. These memory devices are not used in typical general-purposecomputers.

As described in the preceding paragraph, when a malfunction occursduring a game of chance, the gaming machine may be restored to a statein the game of chance just prior to when the malfunction occurred. Therestored state may include metering information and graphicalinformation that was displayed on the gaming machine in the state priorto the malfunction. For example, when the malfunction occurs during theplay of a card game after the cards have been dealt, the gaming machinemay be restored with the cards that were previously displayed as part ofthe card game. As another example, a bonus game may be triggered duringthe play of a game of chance where a player is required to make a numberof selections on a video display screen. When a malfunction has occurredafter the player has made one or more selections, the gaming machine maybe restored to a state that shows the graphical presentation at justprior to the malfunction including an indication of selections that havealready been made by the player. In general, the gaming machine may berestored to any state in a plurality of states that occur in the game ofchance while the game of chance is played or to states that occurbetween the play of a game of chance.

Game history information regarding previous games played such as anamount wagered, the outcome of the game and so forth may also be storedin a non-volatile memory device. The information stored in thenon-volatile memory may be detailed enough to reconstruct a portion ofthe graphical presentation that was previously presented on the gamingmachine and the state of the gaming machine (e.g., credits) at the timethe game of chance was played. The game history information may beutilized in the event of a dispute. For example, a player may decidethat in a previous game of chance that they did not receive credit foran award that they believed they won. The game history information maybe used to reconstruct the state of the gaming machine prior, duringand/or after the disputed game to demonstrate whether the player wascorrect or not in their assertion. Further details of a state basedgaming system, recovery from malfunctions and game history are describedin U.S. Pat. No. 6,804,763, titled “High Performance Battery Backed RAMInterface”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,608, titled “Frame Capture of ActualGame Play,” U.S. application Ser. No. 10/243,104, titled, “DynamicNV-RAM,” and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/758,828, titled, “FrameCapture of Actual Game Play,” all of which are hereby incorporated byreference for all purposes.

Another feature of gaming machines, such as IGT gaming computers, isthat they often contain unique interfaces, including serial interfaces,to connect to specific subsystems internal and external to the slotmachine. The serial devices may have electrical interface requirementsthat differ from the “standard” EIA 232 serial interfaces provided bygeneral-purpose computers. These interfaces may include EIA 485, EIA422, Fiber Optic Serial, optically coupled serial interfaces, currentloop style serial interfaces, etc. In addition, to conserve serialinterfaces internally in the slot machine, serial devices may beconnected in a shared, daisy-chain fashion where multiple peripheraldevices are connected to a single serial channel.

The serial interfaces may be used to transmit information usingcommunication protocols that are unique to the gaming industry. Forexample, IGT's Netplex is a proprietary communication protocol used forserial communication between gaming devices. As another example, SAS isa communication protocol used to transmit information, such as meteringinformation, from a gaming machine to a remote device. Often SAS is usedin conjunction with a player tracking system.

IGT gaming machines may alternatively be treated as peripheral devicesto a casino communication controller and connected in a shared daisychain fashion to a single serial interface. In both cases, theperipheral devices are preferably assigned device addresses. If so, theserial controller circuitry must implement a method to generate ordetect unique device addresses. General-purpose computer serial portsare not able to do this.

Security monitoring circuits detect intrusion into an IGT gaming machineby monitoring security switches attached to access doors in the slotmachine cabinet. Preferably, access violations result in suspension ofgame play and can trigger additional security operations to preserve thecurrent state of game play. These circuits also function when power isoff by use of a battery backup. In power-off operation, these circuitscontinue to monitor the access doors of the slot machine. When power isrestored, the gaming machine can determine whether any securityviolations occurred while power was off, e.g., via software for readingstatus registers. This can trigger event log entries and further dataauthentication operations by the slot machine software.

Trusted memory devices are preferably included in an IGT gaming machinecomputer to ensure the authenticity of the software that may be storedon less secure memory subsystems, such as mass storage devices. Trustedmemory devices and controlling circuitry are typically designed to notallow modification of the code and data stored in the memory devicewhile the memory device is installed in the slot machine. The code anddata stored in these devices may include authentication algorithms,random number generators, authentication keys, operating system kernels,etc. The purpose of these trusted memory devices is to provide gamingregulatory authorities a root trusted authority within the computingenvironment of the slot machine that can be tracked and verified asoriginal. This may be accomplished via removal of the trusted memorydevice from the slot machine computer and verification of the securememory device contents in a separate third party verification device.Once the trusted memory device is verified as authentic, and based onthe approval of the verification algorithms contained in the trusteddevice, the gaming machine is allowed to verify the authenticity ofadditional code and data that may be located in the gaming computerassembly, such as code and data stored on hard disk drives. Some detailsrelated to trusted memory devices that may be used in the presentinvention are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,567 from U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/925,098, filed Aug. 8, 2001 and titled “ProcessVerification,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entiretyand for all purposes.

Mass storage devices used in a general purpose computer typically allowcode and data to be read from and written to the mass storage device. Ina gaming machine environment, modification of the gaming code stored ona mass storage device is strictly controlled and would only be allowedunder specific maintenance type events with electronic and physicalenablers required. Though this level of security could be provided bysoftware, IGT gaming computers that include mass storage devicespreferably include hardware level mass storage data protection circuitrythat operates at the circuit level to monitor attempts to modify data onthe mass storage device and will generate both software and hardwareerror triggers should a data modification be attempted without theproper electronic and physical enablers being present.

Returning to the example of FIG. 11, when a user wishes to play thegaming machine 2, he or she inserts cash through the coin acceptor 28 orbill validator 30. Additionally, the bill validator may accept a printedticket voucher which may be accepted by the bill validator 30 as indiciaof credit when a cashless ticketing system is used. At the start of thegame, the player may enter playing tracking information using the cardreader 24, the keypad 22, and the florescent display 16. Further, othergame preferences of the player playing the game may be read from a cardinserted into the card reader. During the game, the player views gameinformation using the video display 34. Other game and prize informationmay also be displayed in the information panel 36 and video displayscreen 42 located in the top box.

During the course of a game, a player may be required to make a numberof decisions, which affect the outcome of the game. For example, aplayer may vary his or her wager on a particular game, select a prizefor a particular game selected from a prize server, or make gamedecisions which affect the outcome of a particular game. The player maymake these choices using the player-input switches 32, the video displayscreen 34 or using some other device which enables a player to inputinformation into the gaming machine. In some embodiments, the player maybe able to access various game services such as concierge services andentertainment content services using the video display screen 34 and oneor more input devices.

During certain game events, the gaming machine 2 may display visual andauditory effects that can be perceived by the player. These effects addto the excitement of a game, which makes a player more likely tocontinue playing. Auditory effects include various sounds that areprojected by the speakers 10, 12, 14. Visual effects include flashinglights, strobing lights or other patterns displayed from lights on thegaming machine 2 or from lights behind the belly glass 40. After theplayer has completed a game, the player may receive game tokens from thecoin tray 38 or the ticket 20 from the printer 18, which may be used forfurther games or to redeem a prize. Further, the player may receive aticket 20 for food, merchandise, or games from the printer 18.

When a gaming platform is capable of providing multiple games to a gameplayer based upon a game selection made by the player or an operator, itmay be desirable from both an operator perspective and a contentprovider perspective to provide capabilities for allowing more complexgame licensing methods. The operator and content provider may use thelicensing capabilities to enter into licensing agreements that betterreflect the value of the content (e.g., game software) to each party.For instance, the licensing parties may agree to utility model basedlicensing schemes, such as a pay-per-use scheme. In a pay-per-usescheme, operators only pay for game software that is utilized by theirpatrons, protecting them from software titles that are “duds.”

Game platforms exist that provide access to multiple electronic games.On these devices, a game selection menu may be provided on a videodisplay, which offers the patron the choice of at least two electronicgames. A game player may select a game of their choice from the gamesavailable on the gaming machine. Typically, the choices of gamesavailable to the player are only those licensed for play on the gamingplatform. The gaming platform may provide a manual mechanism, such as adisplay interface on the gaming machine, for updating and renewinglicensing on the gaming machine.

In some game platforms offering multiple games, the games are stored onread-only memory devices, such as an EPROM chip set or a CD-ROM. Toprovide a new or a different game on a gaming platform of this type, atechnician, usually accompanied by a gaming regulator, must manuallyinstall a new memory device (e.g. EPROM) and then manually update thelicensing configuration on the gaming machine. The gaming regulator thenplaces evidence tape across the EPROM. The evidence tape is used todetect tampering between visits by the gaming regulator. Sinceoperations performed by entities other than a “trusted” 3^(rd) party,such as a gaming regulator, have been deemed untrustworthy, automaticgame downloads and automatic licensing management is not available onthese platforms.

The licensing of multiple games on a gaming machine is described in U.S.Pat. No. 6,264,561, titled “Electronic Gaming Licensing Apparatus andMethod,” assigned to IGT (Reno, Nev.), which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety and for all purposes.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a network device that may beconfigured as a server for implementing some methods and apparatus ofthe present invention. Network device 1260 includes a master centralprocessing unit (CPU) 1262, interfaces 1268, and a bus 1267 (e.g., a PCIbus). Generally, interfaces 1268 include ports 1269 appropriate forcommunication with the appropriate media. In some embodiments, one ormore of interfaces 1268 includes at least one independent processor and,in some instances, volatile RAM. The independent processors may be, forexample, ASICs or any other appropriate processors. According to somesuch embodiments, these independent processors perform at least some ofthe functions of the logic described herein. In some embodiments, one ormore of interfaces 1268 control such communications-intensive tasks asmedia control and management. By providing separate processors for thecommunications-intensive tasks, interfaces 1268 allow the mastermicroprocessor 1262 efficiently to perform other functions such asrouting computations, network diagnostics, security functions, etc.

The interfaces 1268 are typically provided as interface cards (sometimesreferred to as “linecards”). Generally, interfaces 1268 control thesending and receiving of data packets over the network and sometimessupport other peripherals used with the network device 1260. Among theinterfaces that may be provided are FC interfaces, Ethernet interfaces,frame relay interfaces, cable interfaces, DSL interfaces, token ringinterfaces, and the like. In addition, various high-speed interfaces maybe provided, such as fast Ethernet interfaces, Gigabit Ethernetinterfaces, ATM interfaces, HSSI interfaces, POS interfaces, FDDIinterfaces, ASI interfaces, DHEI interfaces and the like.

When acting under the control of appropriate software or firmware, insome implementations of the invention CPU 1262 may be responsible forimplementing specific functions associated with the functions of adesired network device. According to some embodiments, CPU 1262accomplishes all these functions under the control of software includingan operating system and any appropriate applications software.

CPU 1262 may include one or more processors 1263 such as a processorfrom the Motorola family of microprocessors or the MIPS family ofmicroprocessors. In an alternative embodiment, processor 1263 isspecially designed hardware for controlling the operations of networkdevice 1260. In a specific embodiment, a memory 1261 (such asnon-volatile RAM and/or ROM) also forms part of CPU 1262. However, thereare many different ways in which memory could be coupled to the system.Memory block 1261 may be used for a variety of purposes such as, forexample, caching and/or storing data, programming instructions, etc.

Regardless of the network device's configuration, it may employ one ormore memories or memory modules (such as, for example, memory block1265) configured to store data, program instructions for thegeneral-purpose network operations and/or other information relating tothe functionality of the techniques described herein. The programinstructions may control the operation of an operating system and/or oneor more applications, for example.

Because such information and program instructions may be employed toimplement the systems/methods described herein, the present inventionrelates to machine-readable media that include program instructions,state information, etc. for performing various operations describedherein. Examples of machine-readable media include, but are not limitedto, magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape;optical media such as CD-ROM disks; magneto-optical media; and hardwaredevices that are specially configured to store and perform programinstructions, such as read-only memory devices (ROM) and random accessmemory (RAM). The invention may also be embodied in a carrier wavetraveling over an appropriate medium such as airwaves, optical lines,electric lines, etc. Examples of program instructions include bothmachine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containinghigher-level code that may be executed by the computer using aninterpreter.

Although the system shown in FIG. 12 illustrates one specific networkdevice of the present invention, it is by no means the only networkdevice architecture on which the present invention can be implemented.For example, an architecture having a single processor that handlescommunications as well as routing computations, etc. is often used.Further, other types of interfaces and media could also be used with thenetwork device. The communication path between interfaces may be busbased (as shown in FIG. 12) or switch fabric based (such as across-bar).

FIG. 13 is a simplified block diagram depicting gaming machines within agaming establishment 1301. The gaming machines are connected with adedicated communication network via a host server 1328 and a datacollection unit (DCU) according to one embodiment of the invention.According to some embodiments of the invention, the DCU is an enhancedDCU as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/187,059,entitled “Redundant Gaming Network Mediation,” which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

In FIG. 13, gaming machine 1302, and the other gaming machines 1330,1332, 1334, and 1336, include a main cabinet 1306 and a top box 1304.The main cabinet 1306 houses the main gaming elements and can also houseperipheral systems, such as those that utilize dedicated gamingnetworks. The top box 1304 may also be used to house these peripheralsystems.

The master gaming controller 1308 controls the game play on the gamingmachine 1302 and receives or sends data to various input/output devices1311 on the gaming machine 1302. The master gaming controller 1308 mayalso communicate with a display 1310.

A particular gaming entity may desire to provide network gaming servicesthat provide some operational advantage. Thus, dedicated networks mayconnect gaming machines to host servers that track the performance ofgaming machines under the control of the entity, such as for accountingmanagement, electronic fund transfers (EFTs), cashless ticketing, suchas EZPay™, marketing management, and data tracking, such as playertracking. Therefore, master gaming controller 1308 may also communicatewith EFT system 1312, bonus system 1314, EZPay™ system 1316 (aproprietary cashless ticketing system of the present assignee), andplayer tracking system 1320. The systems of the gaming machine 1302communicate the data onto the network 1322 via a communication board1318.

In general, the dedicated communication network is not accessible to thepublic. Due to the sensitive nature of much of the information on thededicated networks, for example, electronic fund transfers and playertracking data, usually the manufacturer of a host system, such as aplayer tracking system, or group of host systems, employs a particularnetworking language having proprietary protocols. For instance, 10-20different companies produce player tracking host systems where each hostsystem may use different protocols. These proprietary protocols areusually considered highly confidential and not released publicly. Thus,whenever a new host system is introduced for use with a gaming machine,rather than trying to interpret all the different protocols utilized bydifferent manufacturers, the new host system is typically designed as aseparate network. Consequently, as more host systems are introduced, theindependent network structures continue to build up in the casino.Examples of protocol mediation to address these issues may be found, forexample, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,423, “Open Architecture Communicationsin a Gaming Network,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

Further, in the gaming industry, gaming machines are made by manydifferent manufacturers. The communication protocols on the gamingmachine are typically hard-coded into the gaming machine software, andeach gaming machine manufacturer may utilize a different proprietarycommunication protocol. A gaming machine manufacturer may also producehost systems, in which case their gaming machines are compatible withtheir own host systems. However, in a heterogeneous gaming environment,such as a casino, gaming machines from many different manufacturers,each with their own communication protocol, may be connected to hostsystems from many different manufacturers, each with their owncommunication protocol. Therefore, communication compatibility issuesregarding the protocols used by the gaming machines in the system andprotocols used by the host systems must be considered.

In the present illustration, the gaming machines, 1302, 1330, 1332,1334, and 1336 are connected to a dedicated gaming network 1322. Ingeneral, the DCU 1324 functions as an intermediary between the differentgaming machines on the network 1322 and the host server 1328. Ingeneral, the DCU 1324 receives data transmitted from the gaming machinesand sends the data to the host server 1328 over a transmission path1326. In some instances, when the hardware interface used by the gamingmachine is not compatible with the host server 1328, a translator 1325may be used to convert serial data from the DCU 1324 to a formataccepted by the host server 1328. The translator may provide thisconversion service to a plurality of DCUs, such as 1324, 1340 and 1341.

Further, in some dedicated gaming networks, the DCU 1324 can receivedata transmitted from the host server 1328 for communication to thegaming machines on the gaming network. The received data may becommunicated synchronously to the gaming machines on the gaming network.Within a gaming establishment, the gaming machines 1302, 1330, 1332,1334 and 1336 are located on the gaming floor for player access whilethe host server 1328 is usually located in another part of gamingestablishment 1301 (e.g. the backroom), or at another location.

In a gaming network, gaming machines, such as 1302, 1330, 1332, 1334 and1336, may be connected through multiple communication paths to a numberof gaming devices that provide gaming services. For example, gamingmachine 1302 is connected to four communication paths, 1322, 1348, 1349and 1350. As described above, communication path 1322 allows the gamingmachine 1302 to send information to host server 1328. Via communicationpath 1348, the gaming machine 1302 is connected to a clerk validationterminal 1342. The clerk validation terminal 1342 is connected to atranslator 1343 and a cashless system server 1344 that are used toprovide cashless gaming services to the gaming machine 1302. Gamingmachines 1330, 1332, 1334 and 1336 may also be connected to the clerkvalidation terminal 1342 and may also receive cashless system services.

Via communication path 1349, the gaming machine 1302 is connected to awide area progressive (WAP) device 1346. The WAP is connected to aprogressive system server 1347 that may be used to provide progressivegaming services to the gaming machines. The progressive game servicesenabled by the progressive game network increase the game playingcapabilities of a particular gaming machine by enabling a larger jackpotthan would be possible if the gaming machine was operating in a “standalone” mode. Playing a game on a participating gaming machine gives aplayer a chance to win the progressive jackpot. The potential size ofthe jackpot increases as the number of gaming machines connected in theprogressive network is increased. The size of the jackpot tends toincrease game play on gaming machines offering a progressive jackpot.

In some embodiments of the present invention, gaming machines and otherdevices in the gaming establishment depicted in FIG. 13 are connected toa central system and/or other gaming establishments via one or morenetworks, which may be public or private networks. For example, hostserver 1328 and/or progressive system server 1347 may be connected to anoutside network. In other embodiments, a bingo server, a switch, oranother type of network device may be part of an interface with anoutside network. A network device that links a gaming establishment withanother gaming establishment and/or a central system will sometimes bereferred to herein as a “site controller.”

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that changes in the form and details of thedisclosed embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit orscope of the invention. For instance, various alternative hardwareembodiments are contemplated to leverage the use of player trackingdata. The method can also include classifying the user based on theapproximated satisfaction that the user will have in the relationshipsthat user forms with others. Candidates for matching with the user areidentified based on the classification of the user. Also, the gamingnetwork may be connected to other devices including other servers orgaming devices over the Internet or through other wired and wirelesssystems. Moreover, embodiments of the present invention may be employedwith a variety of network protocols and architectures. Thus, theexamples described herein are not intended to be limiting of the presentinvention. It is therefore intended that the appended claims will beinterpreted to include all variations, equivalents, changes andmodifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

1. A method for players of wagering games to find friends in a gamingenvironment, the method comprising: receiving player identificationinformation identifying a first player of a first gaming deviceconfigured to play of a game of chance; retrieving from a storage mediumone or more friend-finding criteria associated with the identified firstplayer; identifying a second player as a friend or a friend candidate ofthe first player based on the retrieved friend-finding criteria,including identifying a location associated with the second player asbeing in a designated area of the gaming environment; and providingoutput data indicating the identified second player.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein identifying the second player includes: identifying anaction associated with the second player as occurring within adesignated timeframe.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein thefriend-finding criteria includes one or more selected from the groupconsisting of a buddies list, player tracking information,friend-finding player preferences, and data associated with a matchingservice accessible over a network.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein theplayer tracking information includes one or more items associated withthe first player and selected from the group consisting of one or moregames, a type of machine, a status, points, an amount wagered, logininformation, a time of game play, game play history information, and atheoretical win.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the friend-findingplayer preferences include one or more items associated with the firstplayer and selected from the group consisting of a personalcharacteristic, a restaurant, a sport, a show, and a hotel.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein providing the output data includes displayinginformation associated with the second player on a display.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the storage medium is associated with aplayer account maintained for the first player.
 8. The method of claim1, further comprising: receiving a selection indicating desiredcommunications with the second player.
 9. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: determining a communications path for communications betweenthe first player and the second player.
 10. The method of claim 9,wherein the communications path is determined in accordance with one ormore of a preference and a restriction.
 11. The method of claim 9,further comprising: providing a communications session between the firstplayer and the second player over the determined communications path.12. The method of claim 1, wherein identification of the second playeris associated with a promotion.
 13. An apparatus for players of wageringgames to find friends in a gaming environment, the apparatus comprising:an interface coupled to receive player identification informationidentifying a first player of a first gaming device configured to playof a game of chance; and a processor coupled to the interface andconfigured to: retrieve from a storage medium one or more friend-findingcriteria associated with the identified first player, identify a secondplayer as a friend or a friend candidate of the first player based onthe retrieved friend-finding criteria, including identifying a locationassociated with the second player as being in a designated area of thegaming environment, and provide output data indicating the identifiedsecond player.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the interfaceincludes a player tracking unit.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13, whereinidentifying the second player includes: identifying an action associatedwith the second player as occurring within a designated timeframe. 16.The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the friend-finding criteria includesone or more selected from the group consisting of a buddies list, playertracking information, friend-finding player preferences, and dataassociated with a matching service accessible over a network.
 17. Theapparatus of claim 16, wherein the player tracking information includesone or more items associated with the first player and selected from thegroup consisting of one or more games, a type of machine, a status,points, an amount wagered, login information, a time of game play, gameplay history information, and a theoretical win.
 18. The apparatus ofclaim 16, wherein the friend-finding player preferences include one ormore items associated with the first player and selected from the groupconsisting of a personal characteristic, a restaurant, a sport, a show,and a hotel.
 19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: adisplay coupled to provide the output data, including informationassociated with the second player.
 20. The apparatus of claim 13,wherein the storage medium is associated with a player accountmaintained for the first player.
 21. The apparatus of claim 13, furthercomprising: a player interface coupled to receive a selection indicatingdesired communications with the second player.
 22. The apparatus ofclaim 13, the processor further configured to: determine acommunications path for communications between the first player and thesecond player.
 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the communicationspath is determined in accordance with one or more of a preference and arestriction.
 24. The apparatus of claim 22, the processor furtherconfigured to: provide a communications session between the first playerand the second player over the determined communications path.
 25. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein identification of the second player isassociated with a promotion.
 26. A system for players of wagering gamesto find friends in a gaming environment, the system comprising: a gamingdevice in communication with a network, the gaming device including aplayer interface coupled to receive player identification informationidentifying a first player of a first gaming device configured to playof a game of chance; and a server in communication with the network, theserver including: a network interface coupled to receive the playeridentification information from the gaming machine over the network, anda processor coupled to the interface and configured to: retrieve from astorage medium one or more friend-finding criteria associated with theidentified first player, identify a second player as a friend or afriend candidate of the player based on the retrieved friend-findingcriteria, including identifying a location associated with the secondplayer as being in a designated area of the gaming environment, andprovide output data indicating the identified second player.
 27. Thesystem of claim 26, wherein the network is a private network.
 28. Thesystem of claim 26, wherein the gaming device is associated with oneselected from the group consisting of a table game, a bingo game, a kenogame, and a sports game.